8/1/09
Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list.
There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll find here. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like to be removed from this list just let me know. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you would like to be added to this distribution list or if you’d like to view previous newsletters, please email me and let me know. Thank you for all the great feedback on this newsletter. I enjoy responding to your comments and am pleased to say that this newsletter goes out to many thousands of readers in over 40 countries.
I use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/kevin
August in Colorado is a beautiful time of year. The days are hot and the nights are cool. We’ve had a lot of rain this Spring and Summer and everything its the greenest I’ve ever seen it for this time of year. Evryone is running around doing their summer activities and there’s a lot of golfing, fishing, hiking, camping and other fun activities happening here in the Mile High State. If you’re in the area, drop by and we’ll throw a burger on the grill for you!
I hope that your year is going well and that you're taking the time to enjoy everyday. Remember…“Life is short. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly.”
UPCOMING PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
I speak constantly and while most of my talks are private engagements for companies, conventions, trade shows, direct sales companies, non-profits and organizations, there are some talks that are open to the public. Here are a few:
8/11/09 Colorado Springs, CO
“THINK BIG!”
The Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and Express Employment Professionals are partnering to deliver a full day of training related to issues important to business owners, HR managers and other professionals. I will be speaking on the effective uses of Social Media in small to mid-size businesses. This will be a tremendous day of information! http://coloradospringscoco
8/20/09 Colorado Springs, CO
“WHAT THE HECK IS TWITTER?”
Pikes Peak Marketing Forum
Colorado Springs Country Club
This is a talk on what Twitter is and how small business people can leverage it to grow their businesses. As fast as Facebook and LinkedIn are growing, Twitter is growing even faster. Huge business opportunities!
http://www.evite.com/pages
8/20/09 Denver, CO
“UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR GROWING YOUR BUSINESS”
Rocky Mountain Region Promotional Products Association
This will be a 90 minute program explaining what Social Media is and the varied applications for small business owners in showcasing their expertise, raising their visibility, identifying opportunities and growing their businesses.
http://www.ppa.org/Legacy/
8/29/09 Denver, CO
“DENVER’S 1st ANNUAL NETWORKING GET-TOGETHER”
The Holiday Inn Select-Cherry Creek 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
Come join us for an afternoon of fun and good food while learning about key insights into the power of online and offline networking and motivation plus how to deal with unexpected change, challenge and adversity, as presented by myself and Mark McIntosh. Mark has a television show in Denver called “Colorado & Company” and is also the motivational speaker, “The Comeback Coach” (www.heycomebackcoach.com)
As we are expecting over 300 people to be in attendance, we must accept reservations on a first-come first-served basis so get your requests in early!
For more information, please contact Elaina Leo at
A BOOK TO PUT ON YOUR MUST READ LIST
The Likeability Factor- Tim Sanders
In one of my newsletters last year I reviewed Tim’s first book “Love is the Killer App”. If you’ve heard me speak before you know that I always refer to Bob Burg’s “Endless Referrals” and Tim Sanders’ “Love is the Killer App” as the two books that have impacted the success of my networking more and than any other networking books I’ve ever read. Tim Sanders is one of my
favorites. He has a great way of making sure that people don’t forget their “human-ness” in the business world.
The Likeability Factor is Sanders’ second book and a kind of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” for the 21st century. Tim explains that likeability is often the difference between success and lack of success. Like it or not, people make decisions about where to work, who to work with, and lots of other major issues on the likeability of the people involved.
Here are a few good quotes from this book:
· Our nation is so focused on efficiency and productivity that we forget that likeability is truly our lifeline. People who are likeable, or who have what I call a high L-factor, tend to land jobs more easily, find friends more quickly, and have happier relationships. People who are unlikeable, or who have a low L-factor, generally suffer from high job, friend and spouse turnover. I now believe that having a high L-factor isn’t just a way to improve your life, it’s a way to save it.
· A high L-factor is a form of social fitness, and achieving it can be just as tough and time-consuming as developing physical fitness.
· It’s hard to be interdependent and also be unlikeable. Certainly you can be independent and unlikeable, but you won’t get as much done in this day and age. You may even be admired, but around you successful teams will thrive while you plod on, alone.
· Pleasant, highly likeable people bring joy and happiness into the lives of others in almost every context. They create a credible promise of an emotionally rewarding experience by their very nature. All of the things that they do reinforce the idea that they can be depended on by their friends and loved ones to be a pick-me-up in an otherwise negative and hostile world.
We’re not talking about manipulation here, we’re talking about the importance of being a person that people want to be with. While most people are taught algebra and about The Catcher in the Rye as they are growing up, very few are taught the basics of developing and sustaining relationships. Kind of odd, huh…but we’ll leave that thought for another newsletter.
You will love this book and I’m sure that regardless of our level of likeability we can all grow and get better and better.
www.timsanders.com
A MOVIE TO PUT ON YOUR MUST SEE LIST
The Shadow Effect
My friend Michelle Vandepas at Divine Purpose Unleashed (www.divinepurposeunleashe
Whether you’re trying to heal your relationship with your partner, your parents, your children, your ex, or yourself, or whether you’re trying to find the strength and the courage to pursue your passions and experience more success, you’ll like this movie. There are definitely scenes and statements in this film that will be considered controversial to some people. As in a grocery store, take what you like and leave the rest on the shelf. Just because I can’t stand mayonnaise doesn’t mean that I don’t go to the grocery store. You know what I mean.
We all have a dark side to our personality and we often hide from this and think that we need to repress this side of us. Debbie explains that our shadow may hold a tremendous benefit if we take the time to inquire into its purpose. Through amazing, real-life examples she guides you to an understanding that we are complete and that we should us the different aspects of ourselves to help ourselves and others. Thought provoking. Thanks, Michelle!
www.theshadoweffect.com
SMILE-THERAPY
My friend, Tim Smith, in Syracuse, NY has a great site. As Tim says, the concept of smile-therapy has been in the works since the mid 90's. Its very simple. Tim got so sick and tired of the negative news in the media that he asked if there anything good going on? The answer is, there is plenty. And the simple question came up… can people use more good news in their life?
Following that, question two came up….what if we took everyone's ideas and wisdom that they knew worked for them, and made a massive library of valuable ideas, wisdom, information and tips? And Smile-Therapy was born. I know that you’ll enjoy this site.
www.smile-therapy.com
SURPRISE WEDDING DANCE
This must have been one of the coolest wedding ever. The reception must have been a real blast!
http://www.tangle.com/view
SKATING BABIES
Not quite sure what to say about this one except, holy cow! These babies rock!
http://www.youtube.com/wat
A KINDER, GENTLER PHILOSOPHY OF SUCCESS
This is one of the best clips I've seen in a long time. Alain is a genius at explaining the paradoxical nature of success and failure while being funny. When we judge another, we don't define them, we define ourself as one who feels the need to judge. I think that he's my twin brother of a different mother.
http://www.ted.com/talks/a
TOXIC
Stevie Ann covers Britney’s song, Toxic. I could never be accused of being a Britney Spears fan, but this is a beautiful song when sung by Stevie Ann. What a clean, sparse, slowed down version and what an smooth voice she has.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
BLIND PAINTER
John Bramblitt is quite the painter. His paintings are beautiful and full of life. The kicker is that John is a blind painter. Enjoy.
http://www.goal-setting-co
CHALLENGE DAY
What an incredible clip. This excerpt from an Emmy award winning documentary shows that we are all so much more alike than different. Get the kleenex.
http://www.goal-setting-co
PLAY THE GAME
It wouldn’t be one of my newsletters without a sugary sweet song from the 70’s or 80’s. Everyone knows Queen, but a lot of people aren’t familiar with this song. Crank it up and enjoy the beautiful harmonies and the hi-tech special effects. Genius from 1980.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
SOME GREAT QUOTES
“Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their authors’ minds ages ago.” Samuel Smiles
“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” Arthur Toynbee
“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.” Mark Twain
“It is only in our minds that we are separate from the rest of the world.” Gay Luce
“All big things in this world are done by people who are naïve and have an idea that is obviously impossible.” Frank Richards
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Will Rogers
“He who lives in the present lives in eternity.” Ludwig Wittgenstein
“Life moves pretty fast; if you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.” John Hughes
“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.” Harry Truman
“I will love the light for it shows me the way. Yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” Og Mandino
“It’s better to have loved and lost than to do forty punds of laundry a week.” Laurence Peter
If you think that this newsletter will be of interest to someone that you know, please feel free to forward it on. If you have any thoughts or opinions on any of these recommendations or have recommendations of your own, please let me know-you never know where the conversation may go from there.
If you are interested in online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training or personal development, please visit my website at www.kevinknebl.com for upcoming talks, trainings, webinars and information about booking me for an event. I speak and train constantly and am always eager to deliver talks and trainings that provide immediate, measurable impact to your employees, company or organization.
As always, if you’d like to reach me, the easiest and fastest way is either by email at kevin@kevinknebl.com or mobile phone at
To your success,
Kev