Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, For Your Life by Jack Beauregard - Book review

Finding Your New Owner

For Your Business, for Your Life

By: Jack Beauregard

Published: June 2011
Format: Hardcover, 194 pages
ISBN-10: 0983631115
ISBN-13: 978-0983631118
Publisher: Stpi Press









"For many years you've been the successful CEO of your own company. Now you are facing a new challenge - a future in which you may have to make a major business and personal transition", writes successful entrepreneur, life transition expert, and CEO of the Successful Transition Planning Institute, Jack Beauregard in his answer filled and new life building book Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, for Your Life. The author describes how retiring Baby Boomers can make a successful transition from being the CEO of their company to becoming the CEO of their new life.
.
Jack Beauregard recognizes that moving on from a life as an active business owner, and into the next phase of life, presents a real challenge for most people. The author takes the proactive approach of building on the already well developed skills of the successful CEO. Jack Beauregard shares the principle of thinking about life transition strategically, and presents his concepts in a practical step by step format, that utilizes the strengths of the CEO. By guiding the CEO to develop a transitional strategy, the author demonstrates how to create a plan on one's own terms, and one that meets the individual's business, financial, and personal goals and objectives.



Instead of treating the change as one of leaving or letting go, Jack Beauregard (photo left) offers the tools for building an exciting new life worth being embraced with excitement. Through his understanding that transitioning from business ownership to the next stage of life, is simply another step forward in the journey, the author helps the individual approach change with a positive outlook. With this fresh view of the situation in place, the former CEO can apply the tools provided to develop a transition strategy that meets all of the personal goals of the person and their families. By focusing on discovering clarity in the change, the author helps dispel the many myths that have grown up around the different stages of life's journey.

The author breaks the transition down into three major categories, where a strategically oriented CEO can put their greatest strengths to work in a positive and personally fulfilling manner:

* Changing the way a person thinks about leaving the company for the next step
* How to create an exciting new future that the person can't wait to enter and live
* Creating a successful business plan to facilitate the transition effectively

For me, the power of the book is how Jack Beauregard combines a deep understanding for the emotional impact of transitioning from the role of successful CEO to the next phase in life, with a practical, business strategy approach to facilitating that change. The author demonstrates real respect for his target readership by not only valuing their strategic planning skills, but putting those same abilities to work to create a seamless and effective plan for the transition to the future. The application of the strongest CEO business skills empowers the individual to take the next turn in life's journey on one's own terms, and for achieving personal, financial, and family goals. The author sets out the book in a logical and straightforward manner, again showing respect for the CEO strategic thinking and planning approach.

I highly recommend the purpose driven book Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, for Your Life by Jack Beauregard, to any business and professional people, nearing or past the age of fifty, who are seeking a no nonsense, yet sensitive approach to planning for building an exciting life after CEO. The author shows a strong concern for the emotions of his readers, and at the same time has a profound respect for their proven planning abilities.

Read the Baby Boomer life transition strategies filled book Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, for Your Life by Jack Beauregard, and discover how to not only consider the next exciting stage of your life, but how to plan and implement a strategy to make it a success. This book will help you design a future for you and your family that you won't be able to wait to live and enjoy.

Tags: Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, for Your Life, Jack Beauregard, Baby Boomer transition strategies, business book reviews.

*

Rajeev Peshawaria: Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



CEO of ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre, and author of the very perceptive and thought provoking book Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader, Rajeev Peshawaria, describes the lack of great leaders in today's corporations. Despite the money spent, training conducted, and advice shared,m great leadership remains very rare. Rajeev points out that many programs and individuals focus on how managers can motivate employees. Instead, he makes the statement that employees can't be motivated by managers. They must be self-motivated. Rajeev Peshawaria shares ideas for how to develop the best leadership through an innate desire to create change, and not from the usual recommendations of best practices. Rajeev shares three essential leadership principles to energize yourself, craft your core team of co-leaders and energize them, and how to energize the entire organization.

Rajeev Peshawaria is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

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

CEO of ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre, and author of the very perceptive and thought provoking book Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader, Rajeev Peshawaria, describes the lack of great leaders in today's corporations. You will learn:

* Why there is a real difference between a boss and a leader

* Why leaders can't really motivate employees

* How to apply the three essential principles of extraordinary leadership

* How to transform your own emotional energy into real change leadership



Rajeev Peshawaria (photo left) is currently CEO of the ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which provides executive education, advisory services and executive coaching to professionals and board directors in Asia, Middle East and Africa. He has lived in thirteen cities in seven countries, and has provided learning, coaching and consulting services extensively across the globe.

Rajeev has extensive global experience in all aspects of Human Capital Management, with particular focus in the areas of Leadership Development, Organization Effectiveness, Performance Management, Succession Planning, and Learning & Development. He also specializes in coaching and facilitating senior management teams in their efforts to streamline Business Strategy, Organizational Architecture, and Culture.

Prior to joining ICLIF in April 2010, Rajeev spent twenty-two years at blue chip corporations: American Express, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola, and Morgan Stanley. In his most recent corporate position as the Chief Learning Officer and Head of Talent Management at Morgan Stanley, he founded Morgan Stanley University, a globally integrated learning and consulting hub within the firm. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he was the Chief Learning Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, where he created and headed Coca-Cola University. At both companies, Rajeev worked closely with senior management teams to grow and/or streamline their businesses.

During his time at Goldman Sachs, Rajeev was one of the founding members of the Pine Street Group, Goldman’s famed leadership development program. He was head of Pine Street for Europe and Asia, and the global head of the Leadership Advisory Services practice.

At American Express, Rajeev held several positions over the span of twelve years, finally ending his tenure there as the global director of Leadership Development programs. Rajeev began his career as a currency trader at American Express and HSBC, before recognizing his talent for leadership education and coaching, a revelation he discusses in Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader (Free Press).

Rajeev earned an MBA from Webster University, Vienna, Austria, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Bombay, India, in Commerce & Economics.

My book review of Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader by Rajeev Peshawaria.

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 CEO of ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre, and author of the very perceptive and thought provoking book Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader, Rajeev Peshawaria, as he describes the lack of great leaders in today's corporations. Despite the money spent, training conducted, and advice shared,m great leadership remains very rare. Rajeev points out that many programs and individuals focus on how managers can motivate employees. Instead, he makes the statement that employees can't be motivated by managers. They must be self-motivated. Rajeev Peshawaria shares ideas for how to develop the best leadership through an innate desire to create change, and not from the usual recommendations of best practices. Rajeev shares three essential leadership principles to energize yourself, craft your core team of co-leaders and energize them, and how to energize the entire organization on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader, Rajeev Peshawaria, leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders by Rajeev Peshawaria - Book review

Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders

The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader

By: Rajeev Peshawaria

Published: May 10, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1439197741
ISBN-13: 978-1439197745
Publisher: Free Press











"For executive who complain about the increasing complexity of corporate life today, here is a thought: Leaders achieve extraordinary results in spite of the environment, not because of it", writes CEO of the ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre, Rajeev Peshawaria, in his very perceptive and thought provoking book Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader. The author describes how very few really great leaders can be found in any organization, despite the huge amounts of time and money spent on training and advice for leaders.

Rajeev Peshawaria proposes the idea that current thinking about leadership is fundamentally flawed and misguided. The author offers the analysis that training programs that focus on the motivation of employees a complete waste of time. For Rajeev Pehawaria, the problem is that managers simply cannot motivate their employees. External forms of motivation are not possible, as employees must motivate themselves. The author presents strong evidence that leadership can't be achieved through a laundry list of recommended best practices. Instead, leaders must be motivated to create real change within their organizations. The combination of this desire to effect change and the energizing of self-motivated employees is essential for moving from being a boss to becoming a leader.



Rajeev Peshawaria (photo left) understands that leadership development is difficult to achieve and to put into practice. For the author, the key to effective leadership involves an internal transformation. Leadership requires large amounts of emotional energy in the form of persevering and continuing on course regardless of the challenges and roadblocks in the way. Rajeev Peshawaria points out that this disconnect between the internal factors and the usual external prescriptions, is where leadership development breaks down. For the author, leadership is all about energy, and the putting of that energy into action to create a better future.

Leaders who are able to achieve breakthrough change know how to:

* Identify their sources of energy to motivate themselves
* Develop a core team of added leaders and align their energy to the goal
* Focus the energy of the entire organization to achieve sustainable success

For me, the power of the book is how Rajeev Peshawaria moves beyond the usual leadership concepts and delves into the internal energy and drive of the leader. This unique ability to harness internal energy is what separates true leaders from mere bosses. The author provides a strong theoretical base for his revolutionary concept of leadership development. Instead of thinking in terms simply producing results, the author shares the transcendent principle of creating energy harnessing conditions for other. Leadership is not simply a measurement of results, but a deeper and more sustainable transformation of internal energy within leaders and followers. The author bolsters his theoretical framework with real world examples of his leadership principles inaction.

I highly recommend the fresh approach to the entire concept of leadership, Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader by Rajeev Peshawaria, to anyone seeking an alternative but more richly nuanced study of leadership, harnessed internal energy, and what is really meant by the critical importance self-motivation. The author proposes an examinations of the role, environment, and development of each individual that leads to real leadership.

Read the important and idea changing book Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader by Rajeev Peshawaria, and discover an entirely new point of view regarding leadership, and what it can and cannot do for employees. This book will start that internal voyage to self discovery, that is essential for anyone to move past being simply a boss, and toward becoming a real leader of change.

Tags: Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader, Rajeev Peshawaria, leadership, business book reviews.

The Paradigm Project Introduces Makers of "JikoPoa" Rocket Stove

The Paradigm Project takes us behind the scenes to meet the makers of the life-changing, fuel-efficient rocket stoves in Nairobi, Kenya. The Paradigm Project sets out on their mission to distribute 5 million fuel-efficient stoves while meeting the unique needs of the people of Kenya and supporting the local economy.

The innovative JikoPoa rocket stove is able to cut wood consumption in half, reduce toxic smoke, cook faster than an open fire, create an opportunity for economic stability and better the overall lives for the families of Kenya.

This video illustrates the first steps to changing the paradigm.

Episode 3: Meet the Makers from The Paradigm Project on Vimeo.

Tags: JikoPoa rocket stove, The Paradigm Project, Nairobi, Kenya, building local economies.

Craig Neal & Patricia Neal: The Art of Convening - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Co-founders of Heartland Inc., and authors of the highly engaging and thought provoking book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Craig Neal and Patricia Neal share ideas for transforming meetings into opportunities to achieve meaning and breakthroughs in authentic engagement. In a convened meeting, people are able to express what is true for them, and to listen attentively to what is true for others. Convening goes beyond merely facilitating by creating an environment where all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action takes place. Craig and Patrica Neal offer the Convening Wheel, made up of nine steps or aspects,that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement as a whole. Learn the exercises, practices, mental preparations and techniques to achieve the state of Convener.

Craig Neal and Patricia Neal are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, September 6, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Co-founders of Heartland Inc., and authors of the highly engaging and thought provoking book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Craig Neal and Patricia Neal share ideas for transforming meetings into opportunities to achieve meaning and breakthroughs in authentic engagement. You will learn:

* Why the standard meeting format is insufficient for success

* Why a convened meeting facilitates authentic engagement

* How to implement the nine principles of the Convening Wheel

* How to develop your inner and outer leadership strengths



Craig Neal and Patricia Neal (both in photo left) are the co-founders of Heartland Inc.. Craig Neal is VisionHolder of Heartland Inc.. He has previously held publisher positions with Rodale Publishing and Utne Reader magazine.

Patricia Neal is President of Heartland Inc.. She has held various marketing positions and worked with Craig to launch Harrowsmith and Eating Well magazines.

As co-founders of Heartland Inc., Craig and Patricia Neal have led over 170 of their acclaimed Thought Leader Gatherings with leaders from over 800 diverse organizations.

My book review of The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations by Craig Neal and Patricia Neal.

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 co-founders of Heartland Inc., and authors of the highly engaging and thought provoking book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Craig Neal and Patricia Neal, as they share ideas for transforming meetings into opportunities to achieve meaning and breakthroughs in authentic engagement. In a convened meeting, people are able to express what is true for them, and to listen attentively to what is true for others. Convening goes beyond merely facilitating by creating an environment where all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action takes place. Craig and Patrica Neal offer the Convening Wheel, made up of nine steps or aspects,that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement as a whole. Learn the exercises, practices, mental preparations and techniques to achieve the state of Convener on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Craig Neal, Patricia Neal, meeting facilitation, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

The Art of Convening by Craig & Patrica Neal - Book review

The Art of Convening

Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations

By: Craig Neal, Patricia Neal

Published: February 7, 2011
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1605096687
ISBN-13: 978-1605096681
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers










"Bringing authentic engagement to meetings, gatherings, and conversations is an essential leadership skill that improves outcomes and brings connection and positive transformation to companies, organizations, clubs, communities, families, and friendships", write convening facilitators and co-founders of Heartland Inc., Craig Neal and Patricia Neal, in their highly engaging and thought provoking book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations. The authors describe a fresh approach to meetings and gatherings that that changes the basic dynamics to one of open conversations, genuine listening, full inclusion, and authentic engagement.

Craig Neal and Patricia Neal understand the frustration that so many people, companies, and organizations experience with traditional meetings. The authors realize that many people dread meetings and consider them to be a complete waste of time. As a result, Craig and Patricia Neal propose an entirely new set of principles for holding and conducting meetings. Their recommended practices encourage and develop authentic engagement and authentic leadership. Through an emphasis on authentic and genuine interaction between participants, the authors point to a dramatic shift that takes place within the meeting. The attendees feel more energized and connected with one another, leading to more open and honest communication. The result is true commitment to ideas developed though the course of this authentic engagement.



Craig Neal and Patricia Neal (both in photo left) transform the term convening from simply facilitating a meeting, to a concept of gathering people into a safe and renewing space, for the sake of generating authentic engagement. The authors create a form of convening that transcends the ordinary, and often counterproductive form, that meetings have taken all too often in our society. The authors share the people focused practices for to create an inclusive environment where all voices can be heard, opening the forum to creative and innovative solutions. Those new concepts can then receive wholehearted commitment from the participants, as they had a hand in generating them. The convening leadership works to facilitate open and honest communication within the group, resulting in outcomes that are both effective and fulfilling for everyone involved in their creation.

To achieve the authentic engagement necessary to achieve a fully convened meeting, Craig and Patricia Neal recommend the following nine practices that they call the Convening Wheel:

* At the heart of the matter
* Clarifying intent
* The invitation
* Setting context
* Creating the container
* Hearing all of the voices
* Essential conversation
* Creation
* Commitment to action

For me, the power of the book is how Craig and Patricia Neal develop a strong theoretical framework for establishing authentic engagement in meetings and gatherings, combined with the practical blueprint for convening effectively. The authors provide a rare and insightful challenge to the standard meeting format. The concept of convening goes far beyond the usual recommendations for improving meetings, by recognizing that the current meeting model is broken, and requires a complete rebuild. Craig and Patrica change the entire meeting dynamic to one of inclusion, real voices being spoken and then heard, true engagement taking place, and true commitment being the outcome.

Along with revising the structure and form of meetings, the Craig and Patricia Neal also reconsider the role of the leader. The authors provide a unique and effective course of action for building and strengthening leadership skills. For the authors, the transformation is as much an internal journey to self discovery, as it is an external change in the way meetings are convened and facilitated.

I highly recommend the dynamic and wisdom filled book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations by Craig and Patricia Neal, to anyone seeking an entirely different approach to meeting facilitation that reinvents the interaction between all those in attendance. The authors create an internal energy shift within the leaders, and that transformation is carried over to enrich and engage the participants.

Read the insightful and exceptional book The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations by Craig and Patricia Neal, and discover how the implementation of the principles of the Convening Wheel will not only enhance your own leadership skills, but also transform the inclusion and effectiveness of the people in attendance at your meetings. The result is you will never consider meetings a waste of time, but rather an opportunity to develop and nurture authentic engagement between people.

Tags: The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations, Craig Neal, Patricia Neal, meeting facilitation, business book reviews.

*

We First by Simon Mainwaring - Book review

We First

How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World

By: Simon Mainwaring

Published: June 7, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0230110266
ISBN-13: 978-0230110267
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan








"We First is about a new way of looking at capitalism. It seeks to initiate a greater degree of honesty and frankness into our thinking about free market capitalism as the engine that propels our society", writes brand consultant, international speaker, blogger, and founder of We First, Simon Mainwaring, in his visionary and thought provoking book We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World. The author describes how selfish, short term thinking, based on greed, has resulted in a broken and unsustainable economy, necessitating a fresh approach to how capitalism operates for the benefit of everyone.

Simon Mainwaring recognizes that businesses face a weakening economy, increased demands for profit, and challenges to their brands from all over the world. Because of a concern on the part of consumers about the social consciousness of major brands, and an empowered customer base utilizing many social media tools, companies are seeing a new business climate evolving and they are struggling to meet these fresh challenges. Simon Mainwaring proposes a fresh approach to capitalism itself, with companies embracing the new social media visibility and working toward creating a better and more sustainable world economy. In what he terms the failing Me World, writes the author, these challenges were resisted and the result was loss of market, lower profits, and a greatly reduced brand image in the eyes of the new consumer.



Simon Mainwaring (photo left) proposes a visionary new way of conducting business that is both sustainable as a business model, but also one that works toward a greater good. The author demonstrates how the wise use of social media by brands can solve both challenges at once. Through building relationships with consumers through social media, brands can develop loyalty and good will resulting in higher profits. At the same time, communicating with empowered consumers and change organizations creates the unified power to facilitate real change in society and economic conditions. Far from disparaging capitalism as the powerful engine of economic growth and societal change, |Simon Mainwaring sees social media driven capitalism as a force for positive change and the development of a much more sustainable economic model.

For me, the power of the book is how Simon Mainwaring makes the connection between brands, empowered consumers, and social and economic change through the vehicle of social media. To achieve his aims, of wins for the company, for the customers, and for the world, transforming customers into partners and evangelists for the company and its brands, the author recommends thinking in terms of We First. In the previous economic model, now proven to be an unsustainable failure, the thinking on the part of companies was the greedy, self centered Me First mentality.

While that concept worked in the short term, the long term result was loss of customers and profit, an unsustainable business model, and a vastly weakened economy. The author's encouragement of a social media fueled new capitalism is based on a pairing of empowered consumers with brands. Their combined goals of sustainability and a better world can then be achieved as a powerful pairing. The author calls this new capitalism the We First Economy. In effect, every aspect of a business, and every empowered customer can combine to create a real change. Simon Mainwaring bolsters his concept with some real world examples who are taking precisely that visionary approach.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and fresh thinking filled book We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World by Simon Mainwaring, to any companies, business leaders, governments, non-profit organizations, or average citizens who are seeking to create real change in the world through thinking in terms of equitable society, sustainability, and a new economy. The author suggests a new form of capitalism, based on a responsible private sector working in harmony with their customers, as the basis for building a better world for all.

Read the important and essential book We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World by Simon Mainwaring, and discover how We First capitalism can create a sustainable and more just economy and a brighter world. This book will renew your faith in capitalism to do good, and to transform its very nature, to become a relevant and world improving force for good.

Tags: We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World, Simon Mainwaring, social media and social change, business book reviews.

Jamie Turner & Reshma Shah: How to Make Money with Social Media - Author interview

Social media consultant and Chief Content Officer with The 60 Second Marketer, Jamie Turner, and co-author with Reshma Shah, Ph.D., of the straight talking and results oriented book How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the book and its ideas.



Jamie Turner describes what makes a successful social media campaign, how to avoid the pitfalls that await many social media marketers, and how to measure the results of the campaign.



Thanks to Jamie Turner for his time, and for his very comprehensive and informative responses to the questions. They are greatly appreciated.



What was the background to writing this book How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business?



Jamie Turner: Dr. Shah and I have known each other for years and get along famously. We were always looking for a good topic to co-author a book on and when social media started getting hot, we jumped on the opportunity presented to us by Pearson/Financial Times Press.



For someone seeking to make money with social media, how important is to understand what social media is and is not?



Jamie Turner: We wanted people to think differently about social media. It's such a new animal that we were afraid people would be using a 20th century mindset on a 21st century medium. So, we decided to write a section that described what it's NOT, as a way to help people wrap their minds around it.







Jamie Turner (photo left)



How should a business person set themselves up for success with social media?



Jamie Turner: There are three key things they should do. The first is to assign the appropriate manpower to it. Many companies think you can do it in 15 minutes a day and that's simply not the case. The second is to think strategically before you think tactically. What are your objectives? What's your desired outcome? And the third is to measure what you do. After all, the reason a business person does social media isn't to be social -- it's to make money.



What are the most common causes of failure in social media campaigns?



Jamie Turner: The two most common causes of failure are 1) not measuring a social media campaign on an ROI basis, and 2) setting unrealistic expectations for the campaign. The truth is, social media takes a lot of hard work and if you're going to do it, you'd better put some real manpower behind it.



What should business people know and understand about the many social media platforms?



Jamie Turner: If you're just starting out, focus on the Big 4 -- LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. After that, you can start incorporating blogging, email marketing and location-based services like Foursquare into your campaign. If you're really advanced, you'll be creating mobile apps as another way to be social with customers.



How is mobile social media changing marketing?



Jamie Turner: Fundamentally, marketing has changed from a push approach to a pull approach. Instead of pushing your message on a passive audience watching TV, you're pulling them into a conversation with your brand using social media. When you're having a conversation, you're not pushy or sales-ey. You're just a nice brand that's trying to help a customer prospect solve a problem.



How can social media be integrated effectively into a marketing plan?



Jamie Turner: Yes, absolutely. In fact, it has to be integrated, otherwise it's just an island. Any good social media campaign will have the look, feel and tonality of the brand. It'll also fit nicely into strategic goals laid out in the marketing plan.







Reshma Shah (photo left)



How can a person establish goals, objectives, and strategies for social media?



Jamie Turner: Yes, and it's pretty simple. For example, in business, your goal is to generate a profit, your objective is to drive revenue to your company, and your strategy is to use social media to engage customers and differentiate your brand from others. If you lay all those things out on the table, then they can be used as a roadmap to guide you to your ultimate goal which is to sell more stuff.



How can a person measure the return on investment of social media marketing, and how do the metrics compare to traditional measurements of success?



Jamie Turner: Social Media ROI is calculated by understanding a concept called Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). Your CLV is basically the amount of revenue a typical customer will bring to your company over the course of their engagement with your company. So, if you're a lawn care company and your typical customer spends $100 a month with you and they typically stay for 3 years (on average), then your CLV is $1200 per year x 3 years = $3600. Once you know that, then you can calculate how much it cost you to acquire a new customer. If it cost you $360 to acquire a new customer and your CLV is $3600, then you're in great shape.



Given all that, your social media campaign will need to drive new prospects to sign up for your company. If 1 out of 100 prospects driven to your company website actually becomes a customer, and it cost you in total $360 to get those 100 people to the website (resulting in 1 new customer), then you're golden.



Make sense?



What is next for Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah?



Jamie Turner: Dr. Shah is focusing on her work at Emory University and her consulting practice. I'm working on the 60 Second Marketer (my online magazine) and a new book on mobile marketing which should be out early next year.



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



My book review of How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business by Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah.

Tags: How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business, Jamie Turner, Reshma Shah, social media marketing strategy, business author interviews.

How to Make Money with Social Media by Jamie Turner & Reshma Shah - Book review

How to Make Money with Social Media



An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business



By: Jamie Turner, Reshma Shah, Ph.D.



Published: September 30, 2010

Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

ISBN-10: 0132100568

ISBN-13: 978-0132100564

Publisher: FT Press

























"A well-run social media campaign is a program that's well thought out, well executed, and well managed. It's set up with a clear set of objectives, strategies, and tactics. Most importantly, it's designed to ultimately accomplish one thing: to make money. Everything else is just a stop along the way", write social media consultants Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah, in their straight talking and results oriented book How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business. The authors describe what makes a successful social media campaign, how to avoid the pitfalls that await many social media marketers, and how to measure the results of the campaign.







Jamie Turner (photo left) and Reshma Shah understand that social media marketing is much more complex than it's often presented to business people. As a result of the many misunderstandings about social media, many marketers fail in their initial attempts at utilizing the concept. To correct the myths and mistakes that have rendered social media an ineffective, and often counterproductive enterprise for many companies, the authors provide analysis of what really comprises an effective social media strategy. Even more importantly, the authors offer a wake up call as to what social media is not, and how not recognizing the real value, benefits, and usage of social media, can lead to frustration and abandonment of the concept.







Reshma Shah (photo left) and Jamie Turner present a comprehensive outline of understanding both the potential and limitations of social media, strategy development and implementation, and how to measure the most important metrics for determining real return on investment. The authors provide a tour of the current and ever evolving social media landscape, to familiarize the business person with the the language and nuances of effective social media utilization. With the landscape understood, the next step shared is how create the conditions for successful social media entry. With an understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of the various social media platforms, the business person is shown how to integrate social media into an overall marketing plan. With the successful entry into an integrated social media strategy, the authors then demonstrate how to measure the effectiveness and return on investment realized by the overall social media plan.



For me, the power of the book is how Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah offer a realistic approach to understanding social media as an effective business marketing strategy. Instead of the all too frequent get rich quick schemes put forward by many social media guides, the authors provide a real world based road map to launching, utilizing, and measuring an effective social media campaign. The authors provide a good combination of theory and practical ideas for using social media correctly, and dispense with the often overdone promotion of social media as quick fix for marketers.



The addition of a crucial section on measuring the real return on investment provided by a social media plan is a very important part of the book. The concept of ROI is often neglected by social media marketing experts. That is not the case with this book, as the premise of return on investment is central to the authors' overall social media approach.



I highly recommend the very practical and idea filled book How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business by Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah, to any business leader, marketer, or entrepreneur seeking an authoritative and well illustrated guide to utilizing social media marketing effectively for any company. This book goes directly to the heart of generating income from the use of social media, and then generating the overall return on investment of the strategy.



Read the very useful and engaging book How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business by Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah, and discover the right approach to social media marketing, without any get rich quick ideas to lead you astray. This book will grow your company through using social media the right way.

Tags: How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business, Jamie Turner, Reshma Shah, social media marketing strategy, business book reviews.

Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets by Sylvia Ann Hewlett & Ripa Rashid - Book review

Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets



Why Women Are the Solution



By: Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Ripa Rashid



Published: August 29, 2011

Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

ISBN-10: 1422160602

ISBN-13: 978-1422160602

Publisher: Harvard Business Press



























"For ambitious, educated women in emerging markets, the future has never looked brighter. new opportunities beckon, calling for and reward their skills and their determination to use them. Employers who cultivate their talent find their efforts reciprocated with impressive levels of loyalty", write senior executives from the Center for Work-Life Policy, Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid, in their groundbreaking and eye opening book Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution. The authors describe how, in the high stakes competition for talent in the developing world, companies are overlooking the vast talent pool of highly educated and motivated women who already live in the major developing market countries.







Sylvia Ann Hewlett (photo left) and Ripa Rashid recognize how the tremendous growth explosion in emerging markets has resulted in talent shortages of highly skilled employees. For multinational corporations competing for skilled employees in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and in the United Arab Emirates, the solution is readily at hand through the talented, well educated, and very ambitious female population. These local women are overlooked currently, often in favor of local males or imported expatriate employees. For the authors, these corporations are missing a golden opportunity to hire these educated women. The authors dispel the myths and stereotypes that have persisted about educated women in these rapidly expanding economies. For the authors, women are the best prepared employee group in these nations.







Ripa Rashid (photo left) and Sylvia Ann Hewlett understand that women in developing economies face unique challenges that must be addressed to open the talent pool more widely. Women in the developing world are often caught in between the pressures of employment, and the traditional expectations of what comprises the role of women. For the authors. these critical issues require solutions that are different from the programs utilized in developed economies. To attract and retain the highly educated and ambitious women of the developing world, companies will need to create and implement unique and innovative solutions.



The authors outline a number of proven corporate sponsored programs that have worked in the developing world:



* Become a talent magnet by building a solid reputation as a company that hires and provides opportunity for talented women.



* Claim and sustain ambition by helping women build networks and interconnected relationships that boost self confidence and personal value.



* Address the pushes and pulls that can prevent women from achieving success through flexible policies and programs that overcome obstacles and conflicts.



For me, the power of the book is how Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid present a powerful case for attracting, hiring, and providing opportunity for the talented and well educated women of the developing world. With so many multinational corporations competing for limited male talent, the authors provide overwhelming evidence that hiring and retaining women is the solution. The authors address completely the usual objections, made by companies for not hiring women, and dispel the myths, stereotypes, and misinformation about women in the developing world.



Through insightful studies of women in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid offer evidence of the high educational levels and ambition of women and their potential. The authors bolster their case by sharing some real world innovations and flexible policies that have worked effectively for some leading corporations. The authors also provide an overall framework for creating workable policies and programs to ensure that women are recruited, retained, and offered real opportunity within companies. The future of developing world companies is one of intense competition for talent. The smartest of these corporations, will discover the huge national talent pools of local women, that are ready and willing to accept the challenge.



I highly recommend the thought provoking and well researched book Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid, to any business leaders who are actively recruiting and hiring talented employees in the developing world. This book demonstrates the competitive advantage that any company will discover by hiring and retaining the highly educated and ambitious women of the emerging economies.



Read the important and company building book Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid, and instead of lamenting the tough competition for finding talented employees in the developing economies, discover the game changing skills and potential of the female employees in the emerging nations. The hiring of women in developing countries will provide the competitive edge that will place your company well ahead of the competition.

Tags: Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women Are the Solution, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Ripa Rashid, hiring women employees in developing nations, business book reviews.