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Inside the Third Tribe

February 5, 2010 /

The Third Tribe was a collaboration between Darren Rowse, Chris Brogan, Brian Clark and Sonia Simone. Add other Third Tribers like Chris Garrett, Jonathan Fields, Hugh MacLeod, Mark McGuinness, Leo Babauta, Pam Slim, Naomi Dunford, Johnny Truant and Dave Navarro and you get an impressive set up.

I rarely join courses or forum on the internet because they mostly feel off target for me. The concept of The Third Tribe feels right though and many in the list of names above are people whose blogs I follow. I have signed up and joined The Third Tribe, it will be very interesting to see what comes out of this.

What’s the Third Tribe?
This definition comes from the introduction at The Third Tribe:

Over the last several years, online marketing has been split into two opposing teams. Two tribes, if you will.

One tribe is called the Internet Marketers. They use aggressive hype and obnoxious tactics to fool people into believing there really is a “get rich quick” magic bullet.

The other tribe is the Social Media Cool Kids. They reject hype and aggressive sales tactics in favor of relationships, community, and value . . . and yet seem to have taken a vow of poverty along the way.

The black and white division of online marketing into two tribes is not real. There’s a big (and growing) middle tribe, one that avoids spammy IM approaches while having no problem asking for the sale and making money. This is the Third Tribe.

What do I think about Inside Third Tribe?
The Third Tribe is an interesting and great concept:

The Third Tribe is a private community where like-minded people help each other out. It’s based on a combination of education and interaction that takes everyone’s Internet marketing skills to a higher level.

The education part so far contains The Quick Start Guide to Making Money Online with Johnny Truant and interviews on Building a Business around a Blog with Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse and Brian Clark. The forums are active and people willingly share their experience. In short, it’s great value for money if you’re set on improving your Internet marketing skills.

Third Tribe Marketing has started an affiliate program that’s only open to members. That’s professional, only members know the value of what they are promoting.

If it’s that great, why do I leave?
One of my goals for 2010 was to take my blogging and Internet marketing skills up a notch (or more), to make it more professional. Those who follow my blogs might have noticed that it did not turn out well, posts have been random and I don’t blog on a regular basis.

I have realized that the aim of becoming more professional as blogger turned writing into a must, at the level of dusting my apartment, instead of something I want to do and love to do. My solution is to remove pressure, scratching the goal as blogger and to focus on bringing the fun back to my writing. I leave Third Tribe Marketing because it does not suit me now, where I am with my blogging and where I want to go in the near future.

This post was updated March 7, 2010.

Seth Godin and Linchpin

January 26, 2010 /

Seth Godin launches his latest book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future in an unusual way. Today he is interviewed or guest post around the blogosphere, a good starting point is his own post The 2.0 media tour. I have followed some of the links and this piece of text from Escape From Cubicle Nation: You are not a cog is great.

if you’re a freelancer and you’re doing what everyone else in your market is doing, why on earth is someone going to hire you? Why will you be able to charge more? Where will your freedom come from?

The need to stand out and be different makes a lot of sense and it’s something I am working on for my own business as coach and mentor.

I have ordered the Linchpin book, it sounds very interesting, but it’s not delivered yet. A linchpin is defined like this:

linchpin = a pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle, so as to secure a wheel; a central cohesive source of stability and security; a person or thing that is critical to a system or organisation

Is it really a good thing to become indispensable? If employed, will your boss let you move on or try to keep you?

Take a Walk

January 24, 2010 /

I subscribe to the newsletter “A Month of Me Time” from The Calm Space. It’s nice reminders, “Simple Daily Actions to Nourish Your Soul”. Today it was about the benefits of walking and I love the included quote.

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.
Soren Kierkegaard

I injured a foot before Christmas and have not been able to take my daily walks since then. Miss them and I do look forward to getting back in the habit again.

What Impact Do You Want To Have?

January 17, 2010 /

I am reading “The Tao of Motivation” by Max Landsberg, a great book that makes you think. (See also The Tao of Coaching, another great book by Max Landsberg.) The motivation book made me think about what motivates me and how to keep myself motivated. As selfemployed you need to be able to keep your own fire burning.

Then I came across A Question of Impact by Jonathan Fields. It raises these important questions:

What impact do you want to have? And, on whom?

Making an impact,as in making a difference, is something that motivates me. Seeing things change or ideas spread is motivating for me.

Jonathan Fields writes that:

I’m not yet convinced there is a single, quantifiable group of people I want or need to choose between. But, I’m also not convinced I can have the depth of impact I want when I’m playing too many games at once.

I think there is a risk of spreading oneself too thin (trying to cover too many) and because of that reducing the impact one makes. But I also see another risk, making your focus too narrow and missing out on chances to make an impact. At present I am balancing somewhere in between, I see the horizon of opportunity as 360 degrees and will see what turns up.

A Bigger Game?
In A Bigger Game Jonathan Fields also brings up the topic of making an impact:

It made me want to play a bigger game. Not a bigger money game…a bigger impact game. A bigger footprint game. A bigger life game.

I’m not that into ‘bigger’, I’m more into sustainable games, making impacts that last. My thought is that small scale works too, good changes create ripple effects. Talking about sustainable, I like The Seven Generations Perspective since it makes us consider long term conseqeunces and effects.

Three Key Words.
In Ready for 2010 I mention my three key words (Trust, Connect, Grow). These key words work well in connection with me making an impact. I have to be trusted in order to be able to make an impact. I need to connect with people in order to be able to make an impact. I need to grow (including learn and share) in order to be able to make an impact.

What’s My Own Answers?
My overarching vision is to help make this world a better place. That’s done on different levels, on a one-to-one level through my work as coach and mentor. On a global level it’s done through supporting organizations such as The Hunger Project and WWF. For the more ‘medium’ level I intend to write more. I would also like to make more presentations, both writing and speeches are ways to influence more people.

And You?
What’s YOUR answers to these questions?

What impact do you want to have? And, on whom?

Ready for 2010

January 9, 2010 /

Last year I did post My Best Year Yet 2009 based on the book Your Best Year Yet which describes a great way of working with your plans and evaluation. This year I create a different kind of post, showing where my inspiration comes from in different areas of my process to get ready for 2010.

Simplicity and letting go

Write to Done has a post about Are You drowning in Interesting-Things-to-Read-on-the-Net? Here’s how to cope.

My entire life is flagged-for-follow-up. I’m one big backlog of informative material waiting to be attended to. I hang onto articles because I’m scared of what will happen if I need them one day, and they’re not there. This fear binds me to my stuff. Like many people, I buffer myself with my just-in-cases, instead of flying naked, instead of seeing what will happen if I head out into the clamber armed with just my inner-resourcefulness.

Sarah writes in a comment: 2010 is all about letting go!!! That’s part of my plans for 2010, let go of everything that does not really matter. Simplicity rules.

Ditch or follow through

On a similar note Men With Pens writes about How to Accomplish Your Dreams, this piece of advice is great:

Ditch any idea, dream or goal if you know you’ll never follow through. Go on. Chuck it. Be realistic and save brain space. Free your mind for what you will work on, right here, right now. Quit making yourself feel guilty about all those plans that’ll never come to life. Decide once and for all to let go of the dream.

Jedi Master Yoda says “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try.'” Things to do ‘later’ or to ‘try’ are of little use to us. I intend to prune my lists and focus on what takes me where I want to go.

The horizon of opportunity

I came across Today is the day and what really stuck with me is this:

Today is the day that I see in fresh ways that the horizon of opportunity is 360 degrees

A milestone for me last year was my presentation at Øredev 2009. It was not in my plans but it’s a major achievement for me. During 2010 I’ll be even more open to what comes my way.

Key words

Chris Brogan has picked his 3 Words for 2010. In Oh The Places You Will Go Jonathan Fields lists his 10 driving keywords for 2010. I will keep my three key words that I picked for 2009 since I feel that they still are important to me. In no specific order they are:
Trust means to trust my inner voice, to build trust and to be trustworthy.
Connect goes outwards (connect to more people in real life and virtually, be visible and valuable) as well as inwards (connect to my inner self).
Grow covers to grow my business and to grow as person. It includes to learn and share. I am a life long learner, sharing knowledge and ideas is fun.
My key words work well as corners in a triangle, they complete each other and none is more important than the other. These key words make me agile, it is easy to check new things and ideas against those words.

Ganesha symbolism

A year ago I got a small statue of Ganesh or Ganesha, the Hindu Elephant-Deity. He is also called Ganapati (leader of people), Buddhividhata (god of knowledge) or Vighnahara (god to remove obstacles). I like the Ganesha symbolism,there are some that suits as reminders of my intentions and goals.
Big head – think big.
Small eyes – concentrate.
Rope – to pull you nearer to your highest goal.
Trunk – high efficiency and adaptability.
One tusk – retain good, throw away bad.

Goals

In My Best Year Yet 2009 I did list my top ten goals. This year I have cut it down to top three. In no specific order they are:

  • Build a profitable and sustainable business.
  • Network with a purpose, in real life and virtually.
  • Write more, create and follow a blogging schedule.

Summary

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~DaVinci

My key words (trust, connect, grow) makes it easier to stay on track and to be agile.
360 is a reminder that the horizon of opportunity is 360 degrees.

I intend to care for my mind – body – spirit because if I am not well then everything else will falter too.

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