Ian Alexander Martin: Book Publishing Trends & Challenges - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Independent book publisher and President of Atomic Fez Publishing, Ian Alexander Martin, shares his views on current and future trends in the publishing industry. Ian describes the challenges facing publishers in the current economy and with the rapid changes taking place in the publishing industry. Ian shares his thoughts on genre busting fiction, developing a niche market for specific titles, and how an author can get published in today's highly competitive marketplace. Ian also offers some advice for successful online book marketing including some very unique and unexpected tactics for which Atomic Fez Publishing has become famous.

Ian Alexander Martin is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, May 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Independent book publisher and President of Atomic Fez Publishing, Ian Alexander Martin, shares his views on current and future trends in the publishing industry. Ian describes the challenges facing publishers in the current economy and with the rapid changes taking place in the publishing industry. You will learn:

* Some of the challenges facing the independent publishing industry

* How publishers and authors are leveraging the internet and social media

* How to select the right publisher for your book

* The future of publishing including electronic books



Ian Alexander Martin (photo left) has been over the years a photographer, a photo-lab store-owner, stage actor, and performing arts journalist; thus demonstrating a fascination with embracing trends already well into their death throws. Currently he's the Proprietor of Atomic Fez Publishing, which is dedicated to providing well-written stories to people at fair prices in a variety of formats; including electronic, hardback, and soft-cover editions. He's lived in Metro Vancouver all his life, and in Burnaby with his wife and two cats for rather less than that.

My written interview with Ian Alexander Martin of Atomic Fez Publishing.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with independent book publisher and President of Atomic Fez Publishing, Ian Alexander Martin, as he shares his views on current and future trends in the publishing industry. Ian describes the challenges facing publishers in the current economy and with the rapid changes taking place in the publishing industry. Ian shares his thoughts on genre busting fiction, developing a niche market for specific titles, and how an author can get published in today's highly competitive marketplace. Ian also offers some advice for successful online book marketing including some very unique and unexpected tactics for which Atomic Fez Publishing has become famous on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Atomic Fez Publishing, Ian Alexander Martin, publishing industry, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitlin Kelly - Book review

Malled

My Unintentional Career in Retail

By: Caitlin Kelly

Published: April 14, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 9781591843801
ISBN-13: 978-1591843801
Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin










"And so I decided to join a populous, if largely ignored, tribe - the fifteen million Americans working in retail, one million of whom sell apparel", writes renowned reporter and feature writer Caitlin Kelly, in her eye opening and engaging book Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail. The author describes her experiences behind the cash wrap as a retail sales associate for internationally known outdoor apparel retailer The North Face, and shares some important insights into the world of the retail employee.

Caitlin Kelly enjoyed her early retail sales experience at The North Face, but over time the pressure, remote corporate bureaucracy, and lack of career advancement gradually removed her enthusiasm, The author expresses with honesty and compassion the important role of the retail sales person in the national and international supply chain. Despite their personal contact with every type of customer, including the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, sales associates conduct their employment duties professionally and with dignity. Unfortunately, these crucial links to the customer base, and their ability to make or break the company bottom line, sales associates are all too often treated as disposable and unimportant by the corporate executive suite. For the author, this lack of regard for retail sales people is a huge mistake on the part of the retail organization.



Caitlin Kelly (photo left) makes a powerful case that improving employee relationships with retail employees would enhance company sales revenue and improve the corporate public image. For the author, retailers are missing a valuable opportunity to increase their organizational profitability by ignoring and failing to capitalize on the talent and skills of their retail staff people. Retailers pay very low wages, offer limited benefits, and often oppressive work environments. As a result, half of new hires leave the job within three months, increasing hiring and training costs. The entire retail industry, according to the author, is using a failed personnel management model that is costing them money in terms of lost sales, wasted brand potential, weak customer service, and the benefits of long term engaged employees. Instead of squeezing their sales associates, retailers would be well advised to increase wages and improve work environments to gain the untapped brand ambassadorship potential of the staff.

For me, the power of the book is how Caitlim Kelly shares both her personal story, and that of the million strong apparel retail employees, into a seamless narrative description of the retail industry. The book exposes what amounts to a broken business model, where overworked and underpaid staff provide herculean effort for little thanks, recognition, or appreciation. As a lesson in failed personnel management practices, the book is a veritable treasure trove of how not to develop an engaged workforce. The incredibly high turnover rate of sales associates is evidence that the system is not working. Through the current management practices, productivity is lost, revenue is left on the floor, brands are tarnished, and many retailers face bankruptcy.

Caitlin Kelly recognizes that high retail staff turnover rates are not carved into stone. The author provides examples of improved retention rates through changes in management practices, more engaging workplaces, and improved staff compensation levels. While retailers may point to high fixed costs, the evidence of retail failures despite low wages, points to other problems in the management strategy. Retail employment is an honorable profession. Retail staff people work hard, take pride in their work, and very often transform dissatisfied customers into brand evangelists. These successes could be multiplied many times over, and the retail industry could be much stronger financially. All it would take to improve the outlook for the retail sector, regardless of economic conditions, is better treatment, better pay, and deeper appreciation for for the retail sales associates.

I highly recommend the deeply personal and must read book Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitlin Kelly, to anyone seeking an insider view of the multi-trillion dollar retail industry. This book provides unvarnished insights into what it's really like behind the cash wrap, through the eyes of the people who work in the retail industry. This book will open people's eyes to what is really happening as part of the shopping experience, and the true cost of the goods on offer.

Read the fascinating and worldview changing book Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitlin Kelly, and discover what it's really like to be employed in the retail sector. This book also provides evidence of an industry business model that is outdated and ineffective in achieving overall company goals. Changes that engage and empower sales associates will boost the success rate of retail companies, while also improving the lives of their valuable and under appreciated sales people.

Tags: Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail, Caitlin Kelly, retail personnel management, business book reviews.

Jeff Kortes: No Nonsense Retention- Author interview

President of Human Asset Management, Jeff Kortes, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about his straight talking and idea packed book No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People.

Jeff Kortes describes, in no uncertain terms, the problems and realities of the modern workplace that lead to employee turnover,and shares practical advice on how to keep the best employees.

Thanks to Jeff Kortes for his time, and for his informative and comprehensive responses to the questions. They are greatly appreciated.

What was the background to writing this book No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People?

Jeff Kortes: When I was in human resources I had to retain people in some very competitive industries so I learned retention the hard way…through trial and error. When I started my executive search firm I immediately began to hear first-hand from candidates I was attempting to entice out of organizations why they would consider leaving their current organization. This got me researching the entire topic so I could better do my job as a professional recruiter and I quickly decided that a book on the topic would be invaluable for Human Resources professionals, department managers and other people in leadership roles that have responsibility for retaining talent in their organization.

What are some of the leading reasons that good people leave organizations?

Jeff Kortes: The top reasons good people leave their organization are a poor boss, lack of communication, limited growth opportunities and a lack of respect by the organization. The most compelling reason is really their boss. In fact, 75% of the people say the worst thing about their job is their boss! A lousy boss usually means poor retention.

Does the size of the company make a difference regarding retention rates?
Size is not a major issue in retention. Everyone thinks that large organizations are able to retain their people more easily because they have vast resources at their disposal. Size can actually make certain key factors in retention such as communication more difficult and the fact of the matter is that lousy bosses can be found in any size organization! One recent study I saw even indicated that a majority of the millennium generation plans to work for an organization of less than 500 employees so size may not be an advantage with future workers.

What does this employer turnover cost companies in terms of dollars, lost productivity, and additional recruitment and training costs?

Jeff Kortes: Studies by American Management Association and others report a range between 25 percent and 250 percent of annual salary per exiting employee. Beyond the cost, perhaps more importantly, is the fact that as the economy improves and baby boomers retire, there will be a critical shortage of workers to replace them. There will be a shortage of people to work in general. There has always been a significant demand for the top performers. This will intensify in the future due to the impending labor shortage. Retention will become a simple matter of survival. Those organizations that are able to find and retain people will be the only ones that survive simply due to the shortage of talent that will exist.



Jeff Kortes (photo left)

Will giving employees more money result in better retention rates?

Jeff Kortes: Assuming a company is paying below the market rate for a job, money can have a definite impact on retention. If a company is paying competitively, however, money generally ranks as the 4th or lower priority for most employees. Money is rarely the major factor that prompts a person to leave their organization. There are usually other underlying concerns that prompt an employee to begin looking for another job that have nothing to do with money.

How can a company culture be improved to retain more good employees?

Jeff Kortes: First, there has to be a conscious decision to improve the culture of an organization which starts by looking at the core values of the organization. Once those core values are defined an organization can begin to take concrete actions that will support strengthening those core values that support improved retention. A decision to embark on a cultural change initiative is one that requires a long-term strategic commitment but, ultimately, will lead to consistently better retention. This is the optimal way to approach improving retention but is also requires the most commitment.

Should employers be concerned if less valuable employees leave the company?

Jeff Kortes: Some turnover can actually be considered positive for an organization. If a poor performer leaves it creates the opportunity to replace them with a solid performer who will add to the strength of the organization.

How can the best people be hired and retained effectively?

Jeff Kortes: Organizations can find the best people by knowing what characteristics they are looking for and by having a systematic recruiting process. I am also a huge advocate of psychometric testing to assess for the best “fit.” Fit is one of the most important determiners of success in a company. Once a person who fits the organization is found, the organization needs to have a strategic retention process in place that addresses the key elements that are important to employees.

How can an organization create and implement a strategy to retain more of the best employees?

Jeff Kortes: An organization needs to create a strategic retention plan very similar to what they would have for other areas such as quality or marketing. This plan should fit into the overall strategy of the organization. This ensures that there is a coordinated, well thought out approach to retention instead of merely engaging in a series of ad hoc “activities” that the organization decides to try in order to improve retention.

What is the first step an employer should take to make their workplace a desirable place for the best people to work and thrive?

Jeff Kortes: There is no doubt that the most important step to take is to look at the quality of your leadership at all levels of the organization. Unfortunately, 75% of the people in this country say the worst thing about their job is their boss. Most turnover is driven by a poor boss more than any other factor. The organization needs to assess the quality of leadership to ensure they have the proper training and value system that is consistent with the value system of the organization. If a leader does not have a value system that will drive retention, the organization needs to remove that person from a position of leadership or that leader will negatively impact retention.

What is next for Jeff Kortes?

Jeff Kortes: My goal is to grow the leadership training and speaking and side of my business. In the speaking arena, I am focusing on retention, recruitment and how to build a high performance team. With that in mind, I recently developed a new speech titled “Slug proof your organization…a no nonsense approach to building a high performance team” which I will be rolling out in July 2011.

****************

My book review of No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People by Jeff Kortes.

Tags: No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People, Jeff Kortes, personnel management, business author interviews.

No Nonsense Retention by Jeff Kortes - Book review

No Nonsense Retention

Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People

By: Jeff Kortes

Published: 2010
Format: Trade Paperback, 110 pages
ISBN: 978-0-615404-56-1
Publisher: Human Asset Management










Once turnover starts to accelerate, it is very hard to slow down, much less stop", writes President of Human Asset Management, Jeff Kortes, in his straight talking and idea packed book No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People. The author describes, in no uncertain terms, the problems and realities of the modern workplace that lead to employee turnover,and shares practical advice on how to keep the best employees.

Jeff Kortes knows well that employee turnover is a very expensive challenge facing many companies. While recognizing that there is some good turnover where unsuitable employees move to other job, the author focuses on the more difficult problem of bad turnover where the best employees move on to other opportunities. Jeff Kortes addresses the internal issues, that lead to great employees leaving the organization, in a refreshing and problem solving format. Regardless of the size of the company, the behavior and actions of the manager or supervisor is one of the most critical factors leading to employee dissatisfaction and turnover. Jeff Kortes provides proven and organization building concepts to improve the relationship between the boss and the staff, that not only keep the best employees on the job, but increase productivity as well.



Jeff Kortes (photo left) points out that every organization is different, and each manager is a unique individual, with their own goals and styles. With those different goals and characteristics in mind, each organization must find a consistent measure to properly assess the real cost of what the author calls bad turnover of good employees leaving for jobs elsewhere. Once a metric is established, it must be continued to maintain a consistency of measurement and to avoid creating feel good numbers that mask a real employee retention problem.

Jeff Kortes provides useful advice for ending bad employee management practices that lead to employee dissatisfaction and a lack of engagement. More than simply offering higher wages and salaries, the author makes clear that employees must feel appreciated and be given respect for both their contributions and as people. The author also offers important tips on hiring the right people who are positive, motivated, and how to train them to become effective and productive employees.

For me, the power of the book is how Jeff Kortes combines a strong theoretical framework for reducing high turnover rates of good employees, with practical and proven techniques for ensuring that great employees are hired and retained within the company. The author describes not only why employees leave the organization but how to change those root problems so they no longer affect employee retention levels. The recommendations offered in the book are all easy to apply, and work for any size of company, from a small business to the largest corporations.

Most of the real world proven techniques suggested by Jeff Kortes cost little to no money, but return huge dividends in terms of employee engagement that translates into higher productivity and lower turnover rates. The author emphasizes the real costs of employee turnover, and shares tremendous ideas for reducing this needless and wasteful expense, while boosting the bottom line and overall employee satisfaction.

I highly recommend the practical and organizational changing book No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People by Jeff Kortes, to anyone seeking to reduce their company's turnover rates of their good employees. This book not only provides ideas for hiring and keeping the best employees on the job, but also enhances employee morale and productivity. The author also demonstrates how to develop and apply an overall employee management and retention strategy that is both measurable and effective for any company.

Read the useful and results oriented book No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People by Jeff Kortes, and develop the effective strategy that will place the best people within your organization, and keep them engaged and on the job. This book will lower employee turnover rates dramatically. That is the objective of the book, and the author conveys that important message very effectively.

Tags: No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People, Jeff Kortes, personnel management, business book reviews.

Steven Streight interviews me on Vaspers the Grate Presents on BlogTalkRadio

I will be interviewed tonight on Vaspers the Grate Presents by noted blogger and social media expert Steven Streight tonight at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time on BlogTalkRadio.

Our topic is "Podcasting Secrets", and we will discuss creating a more effective and engaging podcast. We will talk about hosting on BlogTalkRadio or on your own site. Other topics will include finding more listeners and adding interesting and informative guests to the recording.

Listen live to my conversation with Steven Streight on Vaspers the Grate Presents tonight at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time on BlogTalkRadio.

Tags: Vaspers The Grate, Steven Streight, podcasting secrets, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Have a Nice Conflict by Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson & Kent Mitchell - Book review

Have a Nice Conflict

A Story of Finding Success & Satisfaction in the Most Unlikely Places

By: Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, Kent Mitchell

Published: 2011
Format: Hardcover, 233 pages
ISBN-10: 1932627111
ISBN-13: 978-1932627114
Publisher: Personal Strengths Publishing, Inc.







"It is our hope that this book will make accessible to you some of the principles of managing conflict effectively", write executives at Personal Strengths, Inc., Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, and Kent Mitchell in their engaging and idea packed business fable Have a Nice Conflict: A Story of Finding Success & Satisfaction in the Most Unlikely Places. The authors present the difficulties encountered by John Doyle as he faces conflicts and seemingly insurmountable problems in both his personal relationships and his failing career.



Tim Scudder (photo left), Michael Patterson, and Kent Mitchell utilize the vehicle of the business parable to present the relationship based approach to interpersonal conflict based on the research of pioneering psychologist Dr. Elias H. Porter (1914-1987). The authors share the concept of a relationship approach to resolving personal conflict that offers superior results, enhanced relationships, and improved self-worth for everyone involved. The many intriguing characters, most notably the wise and worldly Dr. Mac, who guides the problem laden John Doyle through the many conflicts in both his personal and professional lives.



Michael Patterson (photo left), Kent Mitchell, and Tim Scudder present characters and life like situations where conflict is present. Whether in his personal life or in his floundering career, John Doyle learns valuable lessons in how to recognize conflict and in placing them into the appropriate context. Once the type of conflict is understood and conceptualized, John Doyle is able to discover a resolution to the conflict that not only solves the problem, but also deepens his relationship with those around him. Dr. Mac teaches John to deal with the conflicts effectively to consider and account for the emotions and self-worth of everyone who was part of the initial conflict.



Kent Mitchell (photo left), Tim Scudder, and Michael Patterson provide powerful insights into the nature of conflict, and the power of the book is how the authors present these concepts in an engaging parable format. The ideas of Relationship Awareness Theory take on meaning and relevance for the reader as the story of John Doyle unfolds. The situations and characterizations are realistic, and offer useful and applicable advice for achieving successful and relationship enriching outcomes from conflict. The authors understand that conflicts arise in both interpersonal and workplace environments, and the need to communicate and express emotions and concerns openly and with an eye to overall beneficial outcomes is essential.

Along with the engaging and entertaining story of John Doyle, the book also contains character assessments for the people depicted in the parable. There are also tools for continuing the transition from any current conflict toward a better understanding between people. The concepts of Relationship Awareness Theory are complex and the business fable format gives them a memorable and effective form for future reference. The book is a useful teaching tool and gateway to additional study and discussion of the principles of Relationship Awareness Theory.

I highly recommend the accessible and relationship building business parable Have a Nice Conflict: A Story of Finding Success & Satisfaction in the Most Unlikely Places by Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, and Kent Mitchell, to anyone seeking an effective and practical methodology for transforming potentially relationship destroying conflicts into positive outcomes for everyone affected by the circumstances. This fascinating fable develops the concepts of Relationship Awareness Theory, and presents them in a way that is both understandable and applicable to any conflict based situation.

Read the useful introduction to Relationship Awareness Theory in the form of the fable Have a Nice Conflict: A Story of Finding Success & Satisfaction in the Most Unlikely Places by Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, and Kent Mitchell, and end the debilitating conflicts that ruin relationships both on and off the job, and replace them with understanding and deeper meaning for all. Stories improve learning and this book creates an excellent learning tool.

Tags: Have a Nice Conflict: A Story of Finding Success & Satisfaction in the Most Unlikely Places, Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, Kent Mitchell, Relationship Awareness Theory, business book reviews.

Vicki Halsey: Brilliance By Design - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Vice President of Applied Learning for the Ken Blanchard Companies, and author of the inspirational and revolutionary book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage, Vicki Halsey, describes the importance and value of learning to peoples' lives. Vicki shares how important it is for teachers and coaches to focus on the how rather than the what of the course material. Content, regardless of quality, doesn't teach itself and Vicki Halsey emphasizes the importance for teachers, coaches and trainers to develop a learner-centered mindset. Vicki Halsey provides her six step ENGAGE model that democratizes and revolutionizes the teaching, coaching and training process.

Vicki Halsey is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 26, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Vice President of Applied Learning for the Ken Blanchard Companies, and author of the inspirational and revolutionary book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage, Vicki Halsey, describes the importance and value of learning to peoples' lives. You will learn:

* Why existing teaching systems so often fail despite well designed content

* Why all learners can achieve brilliance if they are engaged and inspired

* How to employ the six step ENGAGE learning system

* How to create and develop a learner-centered mindset



Vicki Halsey (photo left) is a spirited, inspirational speaker, author and trainer who energizes audiences worldwide by engaging their hearts well as their minds.

With the same skill and finesse that made her a National Champion platform diver, Vicki dives in quickly and deeply with her clients to identify and address their needs, aspirations and visions. Her lively, animated presentations feature entertaining and humorous anecdotes that allow people to relax and laugh while learning—a key factor in creating highly-effective experiences.

People leave Vicki’s presentations with renewed conviction to utilize their talent to tackle key personal and organizational issues. Whether the audience is 50 or 5,000, Vicki’s energy, intellect and passion inspire people to be in touch with and unleash their greatness.

Sought out globally as an instructional designer, Vicki creates a power-boost for the cutting-edge content of well-known management gurus such as Marcus Buckingham, Keith Ferrazzi, Bill George and Ken Blanchard by infusing their work with optimal learning practices and innovative training materials.

As Vice President of Applied Learning for the Ken Blanchard Companies, Vicki specializes in partnering with organizations to design, deliver and coach their people through interactive workshops, keynotes, webinars, podcasts and numerous other classroom and elearning experiences. Fortune 100 companies that include Nike, Toyota, Gap, Oracle, Proctor and Gamble, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo and many more, have benefited from her custom-designed leadership and customer service programs.

My book review of Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage by Vicki Halsey.

My book review of The Hamster Revolution for Meetings: How to Meet Less and Get More Done by Mike Song, Vicki Halsey, and Tim Burress.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Vice President of Applied Learning for the Ken Blanchard Companies, and author of the inspirational and revolutionary book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage, Vicki Halsey, as she describes the importance and value of learning to peoples' lives. Vicki shares how important it is for teachers and coaches to focus on the how rather than the what of the course material. Content, regardless of quality, doesn't teach itself and Vicki Halsey emphasizes the importance for teachers, coaches and trainers to develop a learner-centered mindset. Vicki Halsey provides her six step ENGAGE model that democratizes and revolutionizes the teaching, coaching and training process on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage, Vicki Halsey, education, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Brilliance by Design by Vicki Halsey - Book review

Brilliance by Design

Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage

By: Vicki Halsey

Published: January 10, 2011
Format: Paperback, 216 pages
ISBN-10: 9781605094229
ISBN-13: 978-1605094229
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers












"And now it's time for you to bring out the brilliance in the thousands of others who are hiding,hoping to stay under the radar, not realizing how much they have been limiting their potential by diffusing their vision", writes Vice president of Applied Learning for The Ken Blanchard Companies, Vicki Halsey, in her inspirational and revolutionary book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage. The author describes how to uncover the brilliance in learners, through her groundbreaking educational techniques, that place the learner as the center of the focus.

Vicki Halsey presents a radically new approach for inspiring the latent brilliance in learners to come to the forefront. Learning new ideas and techniques changes a person in many exciting ways, and the author's fresh thinking brings forth those transformational outcomes. For Vicki Halsey, it's essential to turn previous teaching ideas upside down. Instead of concentrating on the role of content, no matter how well designed or formulated, the author places the student to front and center of the learning process. Instead of focusing on what is being taught, Vicki Halsey stresses the critical importance on how the material is being presented to the learner. Through developing what the author calls a learner-centered mindset, educators and trainers can shift their emphasis from thinking about how smart the learners are, to a focus on how the learner is smart.



Vicki Halsey (photo left) presents a fresh approach to learning through extreme engagement. By recognizing that brilliance is an ongoing process, and that brilliance can be unlocked in anyone at any time, the author alters the way teachers and trainers will think about their students. To support her powerful and breakthrough learning concept, Vicki Halsey introduces the ENGAGE learning system. This new program model consists of the following components:

* Energize Learners
* Navigate Content
* Generate meaning
* Apply to Real World
* Gauge and Calibrate
* Extend Learning to Action

For me, the power of the book is how Vicki Halsey provides both the theoretical framework and the practical tools for transforming the learning experience to one centered on the learner. In place of the traditional teacher and course material based approach to learning, the author presents a more specialized model that supports and appreciated the different learning styles of different people. At the same time, Vicki Halsey shares the concept of brilliance in everyone. Through the expectation of brilliance and superior performance, combined with the engaging and revolutionary learner-centered mindset, all students are able to learn and recognize their own brilliance.

Vicki Halsey strengthens the book even further through the addition of some valuable learning and assessment resources as an appendix to the book. Combined with the recognition that brilliance can be found and released in everyone, and a renewed focus on how students learn, the ENGAGE model presented in the book becomes a system that will replace most standard teaching and training techniques. The shift in focus from the material and the instructor, to zeroing in on the needs and abilities of the learner, changes the way teaching takes place and learning happens. This book renders the previous teaching models obsolete.

I highly the learning transformational book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage by Vicki Halsey, to anyone seeking a more effective and learner oriented model for teachers, trainers, and coaches. This breakthrough learning system will forever alter the way that educators and organizations think about imparting knowledge and ideas to others.

Read the important and paradigm shifting book Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage by Vicki Halsey, and put the learner-centric approach of the ENGAGE system to work for your organization. The learners will be more engaged, and their true brilliance will be released for the benefit of everyone.

Tags: Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage, Vicki Halsey, education, business book reviews.

Erik Calonius: Ten Steps Ahead - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Award winning journalist, former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, and author of the insightful and thought provoking book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us, Erik Calonius, describes how visionaries who can anticipate trends, new technologies or a groundbreaking business model, have intuition, courage, and emotional intelligence. Erik demonstrates, through the latest research in brain science, how visionaries think, work, and create. With this information in hand, Erik Calonius presents evidence that vision can be learned and developed, through practice and perspective. Because our brains are ever learning and evolving, anyone can learn how to be a creative and innovative visionary, through practice and experience.

Erik Calonius is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, May 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Award winning journalist, former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, and author of the insightful and thought provoking book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us, Erik Calonius, describes how visionaries who can anticipate trends, new technologies or a groundbreaking business model, have intuition, courage, and emotional intelligence. You will learn:

* What it really means to be a business visionary in any industry

* Why visionary thinking is not inborn but a learned skill

* What core components make up the visionary thinking process

* How to develop and practice your own visionary thinking abilities



Erik Calonius (photo left) is a former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, where he was nominated for the National Magazine Award.

Erik collaborated with Dan Ariely on Predictably Irrational and is the author of The Wanderer.

Erik can be followed on Twitter at @ECalonius

My book review of Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us by Erik Calonius.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with award winning journalist, former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, and author of the insightful and thought provoking book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us, Erik Calonius, as he describes how visionaries who can anticipate trends, new technologies or a groundbreaking business model, have intuition, courage, and emotional intelligence. Erik demonstrates, through the latest research in brain science, how visionaries think, work, and create. With this information in hand, Erik Calonius presents evidence that vision can be learned and developed, through practice and perspective. Because our brains are ever learning and evolving, anyone can learn how to be a creative and innovative visionary, through practice and experience on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us, Erik Calonius, creative thinking skills, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Me and Bobby McGee by Chad Coenson - Book review

Me and Bobby McGee

By: Chad Coenson

Published: September 17, 2010
Format: Paperback, 268 pages
ISBN-10: 1592994881
ISBN-13: 978-1592994885
Publisher: Inkwater Press










Trained government assassin Keesey Cypher, desperate to escape his tormented past, lives in a tragic alcohol fueled world of gambling, political and corporate corruption, and ill fated romance, in the unpredictable and satiric dark comedy Me and Bobby McGee by award winning poet and novelist Chad Coenson.

Chad Coenson creates an America that is both surreal, and frighteningly all too real, where the comedic and tragic are often one and the same thing. On one level, the book is a frenetic chase through the underside of dishonest politicians, illegal corporate activity, and the dark underside of modern society. As Keesey Cypher and his mysterious and alluring partner Bobby McGee develop their own ethically and legally challenged business, they fall into a world where traffic in humanity is not only accepted but held in high esteem. On another level, the allusion to trading in peoples' lives becomes a powerful metaphor for modern American society, where a person's perceived value is measured in dollars and cents. The transference of people to just another commodity to be bought and sold, both literally as in the novel, or figuratively as in the author's dark vision of modern life, is haunting in its truth.



Chad Coenson (photo left) delves deeply into the very nature of corporate greed and corruption, and the forces that enable them. The author uses the aptly named Keesey Cypher as a symbol of the personal desires of individuals in an atomized and uncaring society. With a first name reminding the reader of author Ken Kesey and his world where the very absurdity of society is front and center, and a last name that conjures both mystery and calculating individualism, Keesey Cypher is the modern everyman. Both free and a slave to his and society's most base desires, Keesey Cypher is trapped in the author's almost prison like world. Through the liberating vehicle of speculative fiction, the author fires pointed barbs at the established values of human life, money, and the concept of freedom itself.

Chad Coenson ponders the power of the individual to create or deter tragedy on both a personal and a global level. The author recognizes the importance of freedom to choose one's fate, but also asks the more challenging question of whether a person can or should determine the fates of others. Using wry allusions to the classic Kris Kristofferson song Me and Booby McGee, Chad Coenson underlines how "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" through the uproarious travels of Keesey Cypher and femme fatale companion Bobby McGee.

Keesey Cypher discovers that true freedom is no longer being tied to the material possessions and the grinding apathy of society as a whole, he is able to establish his own individuality. In a world where the very subjective concept of freedom has morphed into consumer choice and exploitation of others, the only true freedom is to have nothing left to lose. Instead of being driven by that fear of material loss, or what Thoreau called "quiet desperation", Keesey Cypher achieves his own version of liberty, by making his own choices and on his own terms. Even those decisions, in the end, carry their own consequences.

I highly recommend the dark comedic novel Me and Bobby McGee by Chad Coenson, to anyone seeking a novel that is both profound and entertaining in equal portions, The author asks the most difficult questions about the nature of modern America and its people, and the portraits are not always admirable. Indeed, for Chad Coenson, the very greed and personal drive to achieve a perverted American Dream, form the basis of a loss of true freedom.

Read the fascinating and gripping novel Me and Bobby McGee by Chad Coenson, and take a roller coaster tour through the darkest side of America, where the logic and rationale for modern society themselves are put on trial. For the author, the twisted aspirations and goals of individuals, governments, and corporations fail the test.

Tags: Me and Bobby McGee, Chad Coenson, satire, fiction book reviews.

Ten Steps Ahead by Erik Calonius - Book review

Ten Steps Ahead

What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us

By: Erik Calonius

Published: March 17, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1591843766
ISBN-13: 978-1591843764
Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin













"Visionaries are not only just the stuff of legend. When we string them sequentially, one visionary following another, we have described the arc of history", writes former reporter, editor, and London correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and served as an editor and writer for Fortune, Erik Calonius, in his insightful and thought provoking book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us. The author describes how and why visionaries are able to recognize trends and breakthrough ideas, and how the average person can develop those same forward looking skills.

Erik Calonius recognizes that being a trailblazer is the result of combining a number of factors. The visionaries profiled in the book were able to utilize each of the components successfully. According to the author, the core elements of visionary thinking are:

* Intuition
* Courage
* Emotional intelligence
* Luck

The author focuses on visionaries from the business world to provide the examples of the core elements in action. Erik Calonius demonstrates how each of the profiled geniuses employed the various components of visionary thinking. For these exceptional individuals, both their thought processes and the actions they took, were almost second nature for them. As a result, the author points out that they were unable to describe how and why they reached their breakthrough concepts.



Erik Calonius (photo left) understands that while the recognized visionaries were unable to articulate their thoughts and action, that doesn't mean that they aren't real. In fact, the author provides evidence ranging from observation to leading edge brain research, that visionary thinking is something that can be learned and developed by anyone. While the activities and process may have come naturally to the noted trailblazers, their techniques are not exclusive to them alone. The core elements of the process, including how to increase the odds of luck working for a person, can all be studied, learned, and internalized effectively. Since our brains are ever changing and evolving, they can be rewired to think in the same way as the most original and groundbreaking visionaries. In other words, anyone can be a trailblazer with practice and experience.

For me, the power of the book is how Erik Calonius combines both the theory of visionary thinking and discovery with real world examples of trailblazers and their accomplishments. Along with the personal profiles, and the core components contributing to their success, the author provides the latest cutting edge brain science to support his concepts. Another strength of the book is how Erik Calonius demonstrates how anyone can learn and develop the skills necessary to become visionary thinkers. The author provides the practical techniques and framework to enhance and augment a person's existing strengths, and to bring forward their latent and unused visionary abilities. Overall, the author provides an excellent assessment and guide to becoming a trailblazer in any industry.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and must read book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us by Erik Calonius, to anyone seeking a well researched and reasoned book about developing their own visionary skills. The ability to make breakthrough discoveries is not an inborn talent, but is a developed process that can also be enhanced over time through practice and experience.

Read the engaging and fascinating book Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us by Erik Calonius, and discover that being a visionary is not the sole domain of a select few, but is a process that can be learned and utilized by anyone. This book will change the way that people think about genius. Instead of seeing visionaries as the exception, they could really be the rule thanks to a deeper understanding of how they reached their discoveries. Becoming a trailblazer is a realistic and achievable ability for anyone who studies and puts the techniques into practice.

Tags: Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us, Erik Calonius, creative thinking skills, business book reviews.

Homework Helpers: Chemistry: Updated & Enhanced Edition by Greg Curran - Book review

Homework Helpers: Chemistry, Updated & Enhanced Edition

By: Greg Curran

Published: April 15, 2011
Format: Paperback, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1601631634
ISBN-13: 978-1601631633
Publisher: Career Press










"A person who learns chemistry often begins to see things that others don't see, because he or she comes to understand and appreciate the interactions of invisible atoms that make up the world around us", writes teacher of Chemistry and Physics at Fordham Preparatory School in New York, Greg Curran, in his very user friendly and easy to understand book Homework Helpers: Chemistry, Updated & Enhanced Edition. The author provides a valuable study guide for supplementing a chemistry textbook, or for utilizing as a review workbook for preparing for any standardized tests.

Greg Curran is like the Chemistry teacher that everyone wishes was their instructor in the course. The author presents the study and review material in an interesting and informative way that provides context for each of the lessons. Greg Curran understands not only the importance of understanding basic chemistry to our lives, but he also recognizes that Chemistry is a course that requires a lifetime of study. With the ever expanding influence of chemistry in our daily lives, a strong working relationship with the subject matter is essential for everyone. As a result, this book is not only helpful for high school students, or for college preparation, but offers a unique opportunity for anyone to learn or review this vital subject material.



Greg Curran (photo left) not only explains the concepts of Chemistry, but also shares why these ideas are important to learn and understand. The author places the lessons in a real world context, providing that often elusive relevance for both high school students and adult learners. For lovers of lifelong learning, and those who possess a curiosity about how and why the natural world works as it does, this is an excellent guidebook for discovering the basic building blocks of the subject. The book also provides a base for expanding study more intensively into the many branches that make up the study of Chemistry. As Greg Curran explains, many people who struggled with the concepts of Chemistry in high school, find the ideas become more understandable over time. For high school and college entry students, this book offers a jump start toward a better grasp of the subject matter, at an earlier age.

For me, the power of the book is how Greg Curran combines a strong theoretical background to the principles of Chemistry, with easy to follow lessons for learning the course material. An added bonus is the way the author balances the lessons with real world examples of their effects on our lives. The book is divided well into a logical format, each chapter color coded for simple navigation, designed for both better learning and reviewing the subject material. Each chapter contains numerous review questions, and unlike many answer sections, the author doesn't simply provide the right answers. Greg Curran goes beyond simply pointing to the correct answer but also explains why that answer is correct.

I highly recommend the valuable study and review guide Homework Helpers: Chemistry, Updated & Enhanced Edition by Greg Curran, to any students who are currently studying Chemistry, are preparing for any standardized test, and for any adults interested in either discovering or relearning the joys and value of Chemistry. This book is an excellent primer for lifelong learners who want to widen their knowledge base to include that of Chemistry.

Read the helpful and well organized book Homework Helpers: Chemistry, Updated & Enhanced Edition by Greg Curran, and find out that Chemistry is not only fascinating, but fun as well. This book will change your perception of this critical and worthwhile area of study.

Tags: Homework Helpers: Chemistry, Updated & Enhanced Edition, Greg Curran, education and lifelong learning, science book reviews.

Jodi Glickman: Great On The Job - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Founder of Great On The Job, former investment bankers, and author of the practical and engaging book Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead, Jodi Glickman, shares insights into improving communication and verbal skills to improve job success. Usually considered an art, Jodi Glickman turns verbal ability into a science, complete with strategies to master and improve those critical verbal skills. Jodi provides practical strategies for getting plum assignments, asking for help, and for answering difficult questions. Learn how to become one of the successful executives who achieve the highest levels through their superior communication skills and strategies.

Jodi Glickman is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 19, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Founder of Great On The Job, former investment bankers, and author of the practical and engaging book Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead, Jodi Glickman, shares insights into improving communication and verbal skills to improve job success. You will learn:

* Why superior verbal communication skills are critical to career success

* How to improve your language abilities to a much higher level

* how four strategies can transform your verbal interactions completely

* Why technological dialogue skills aren't the same as face to face discussions



Jodi Glickman (photo left) is an expert in training young people how to be Great on the Job. Jodi is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, consultant and regular blogger for Harvard Business Review. She is a faculty member of the Johnson School’s Leadership Program at Cornell and a contributor to Fortune.Com and Business Insider. Her new book: Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead has been described as a veritable master class in workplace success.

Jodi has trained some of the best and brightest young minds in business—her clients include Harvard Business School, Wharton, NYU Stern School of Business, Kellogg School of Management, BofA/Merrill, Citigroup, Baird & Co., The Forte Foundation, and 85 Broads, among others. Jodi has appeared on MSNBC and her career advice has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, Business Week, WSJ finance, CNN Money, Woman’s Day, Real Simple Magazine, MSN Careers, Yahoo! and Career Builder.com.

Jodi is a former Peace Corps volunteer (Southern Chile) turned investment banker (Goldman Sachs) turned communication expert. She received her MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell where she was a Park Leadership Fellow and received a full-ride scholarship to business school. Before turning to the world of finance, Jodi was a policy analyst at the U.S. EPA and did brief stints at the White House and Governor’s Office of Illinois. She has a B.S. in Social Policy, Magna Cum Laude, from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Jodi lives in Chicago with her husband and two little girls, Bella and Arden. She is a member of the Northwestern University Council of 100 and is a former trustee of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Urban Education Exchange, a Harlem based non-profit aimed at eliminating the achievement gap in reading.

My book review of Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead by Jodi Glickman.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with founder of Great On The Job, former investment bankers, and author of the practical and engaging book Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead, Jodi Glickman, as she shares insights into improving communication and verbal skills to improve job success. Usually considered an art, Jodi Glickman turns verbal ability into a science, complete with strategies to master and improve those critical verbal skills. Jodi provides practical strategies for getting plum assignments, asking for help, and for answering difficult questions. Learn how to become one of the successful executives who achieve the highest levels through their superior communication skills and strategies on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead, Jodi Glickman, verbal communication skills, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Great on the Job by Jodi Glickman - Book review

Great on the Job

What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead

By: Jodi Glickman

Published: May 10, 2011
Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 031264146X
ISBN-13: 978-0312641467
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin











"The art of live communication and relationship building remains critically important no matter what industry you work in", writes entrepreneur, trainer, consultant, and author of the practical and engaging book Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead. The author describes how in today's globalized economy, intelligence, technical skills and a strong work ethic, are not as critical to success as the ability to communicate effectively and strategically.

Jodi Glickman doesn't discount the importance of technical skills. Instead, the author emphasizes that without the ability to communicate ideas effectively to others, mastery of the technical aspects of the job becomes less valuable. To build trust and deeper relationships in the workplace, strong verbal communication skills are essential for success. For Jodi Glickman, superior communication skills are the most critical component of career success. In the highly technological work environment, where much dialogue takes place through email and other technical channels, the interpersonal aspect of communication has dropped to an all time low. For younger employees, just entering the workplace, verbal communication skills are often weaker than those of previous generations. As a result, Jodi Glickman points out that improving verbal communication abilities is more important than ever to career advancement and job satisfaction.



Jodi Glickman (photo left) recognizes that despite the increasing use of online and mobile dialogue, interpersonal face to face conversation is still overwhelmingly more frequent and important in the workplace. At the same time, the ability to communicate ideas and carry on effective conversations, is the most critical aspect to a successful career. Despite this reality, corporate leaders fail to give verbal communication skills priority in their training sessions. Jodi Glickman presents an alternative training process that teaches better verbal skills, while ensuring that that those enhanced communication abilities are utilized effectively and strategically at work. Jodi Glickman provides a four theme strategy to improving language use. Those four themes are:

* Generosity
* Initiative
* Forward Momentum
* Transparency

For me, the power of the book is how Jodi Glickman combines the theory of why verbal communication skills are so important with a practical strategy for enhancing interpersonal conversation abilities. The author shares her ideas in a compelling and easy to understand format that is essential for a book about communication of ideas. Unlike the authors of some books on face to face interaction, Jodi Glickman brings her real world experience to her concepts. The proven techniques and tactics for developing and improving face to face discussions are drawn from the author's career as an entrepreneur and from within a corporate setting. The author has seen first hand, how a failure to communicate effectively and at the right time, can derail the career of even the best and the brightest employees. As a result, Jodi Glickman provides a real service to new employees or seasoned veterans of the business world.

I highly recommend the idea filled and career building book Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead by Jodi Glickman, to anyone who is serious about taking their interpersonal communication skills to a higher level. The author describes the crucial importance of verbal skills to career success, and provides the language strategies and exercises needed to boost your career within the organization.

Read the advice packed and confidence boosting guidebook Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead by Jodi Glickman, and discover how and why leveraging your knowledge is more than being good at your work, but that communicating those ideas successfully is even more critical to success. This book will transform an ordinary career into a great one.

Tags: Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead, Jodi Glickman, verbal communication skills, business book reviews.

BlogBloke & Steven Streight: Blogging Ethics & Issues - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Long time bloggers and industry thought leaders, BlogBloke of Ask BlogBloke: Blogging & Social Media with the 'Original' and Steven Streight of Vaspers the Grate and Pluperfecter discuss some of the ethical issues that have arisen in the blogosphere. They describe the lack of blogging etiquette, and the failure to credit other bloggers' ideas, that are starting to become the norm in the blogging community,

They will talk about some of the scandals and issues that have become headline news with Facebook; and they will share their thoughts on the direction that social media is headed as well. You will learn why blogging ethics, sharing with others, and being a free and generous linker works best for everyone in both the short and long runs. Discover the importance of getting back to the blogging basics that created the blog success story in the first place.

BlogBloke and Steven Streight are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, May 17, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Long time bloggers and industry thought leaders, Blog Bloke of Ask Blog Bloke: Blogging & Social Media with the 'Original' and Steven Streight of Vaspers the Grate and Pluperfecter discuss some of the ethical issues that have arisen in the blogosphere. You will learn:

* What blogging ethics mean and why they are so important

* Why some social media gurus may be doing more harm than good

* Some of the hidden dangers of using social media

* How to blog ethically and help both yourself and others succeed



Blog Bloke (avatar left) has worked in journalism and as a programmer in the computer industry before most had heard of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. A crusader at heart, he switched to law and soon made a name for himself as a successful litigation expert and mediator, helping folks who under normal circumstances can't afford justice.

A geek in every sense of the term, he carried his passion for helping others and computers into blogging that he helped pioneer. In those days there was no such thing as Wordpress or RSS newsfeeds for blogs. Having created the "Blog Tips" niche, his blog is an outstanding resource for helpful blogging tips and how-to tutorials. He has a reputation for being a straight shooter, his sharp wit and an outspoken champion for online ethics. He is bullishly pro blogging, social media, an outspoken advocate for online rights, security and technology issues.

Tech Editor and Author, BLOGBloke has been quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times and CBS News. Here are just a few of the comments that his readers have made:

"A Blogger’s Natural Resource" … “A knowledgeable, witty and fun conversationalist with both feet in the honesty camp” … “You write with passion, condor, and authenticity — that’s why I enjoy your posts” ... “Like the sense of humor in the articles” … “This site is a literary masterpiece” … “High quality sites like yours are an inspiration” … “This site is capital, constantly providing fairness in reviews and information” … “We would like to thank you for maintaining such a reputable blog. We know that it takes time, effort and commitment to keep such a blog and as such, we have added your blog as one of the top Blogging Blogs” … “You are indeed not just any average bloke!”.



Steven Streight (photo left) also known as Vaspers is a web content provider, blog figure outer, and social media consultant.

A successful former advertising writer on Madison Avenue and Wall Street, Streight started blogging in 2004 on topics of web usability in the blog Vaspers the Grate at http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com

He coined the phrase and defined the art of "blogocombat" and most citations of the keyword are attributed to him according to Google.

He has been quoted by Business Week, US News & World Report, Society for Technical Communications, Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's book "Naked Conversations", InterBusiness Issues, and many other publications.

Steven specializes in digital media, online brand management, and social networking applications for legal firms, retail business, and music marketing.

His current blog is Pluperfecter at http://pluperfecter.blogspot.com

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



Let's talk with long time bloggers and industry thought leaders, Blog Bloke of Ask Blog Bloke: Blogging & Social Media with the 'Original' and Steven Streight of Vaspers the Grate and Pluperfecter, as they discuss some of the ethical issues that have arisen in the blogosphere. They describe the lack of blogging etiquette, and the failure to credit other bloggers' ideas, that are starting to become the norm in the blogging community, They will talk about some of the scandals and issues that have become headline news with Facebook; and they will share their thoughts on the direction that social media is headed as well. You will learn why blogging ethics, sharing with others, and being a free and generous linker works best for everyone in both the short and long runs. Discover the importance of getting back to the blogging basics that created the blog success story in the first place on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Blog Bloke, Steven Streight, blogging ethics and issues, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.