Talk It Up!

Jack's Notebook

After a meeting last week, a client, Gregg Fraley, was kind enough to give me a copy of his latest book, Jack's Notebook. It has the curious subtitle: "A Business Novel about Creative Problem Solving." I've never heard this term "business novel" before--have you? I mean, I know that most business books I read are peppered with anecdotes and case studies, but... a business novel?

Well, it's sorta half and half. The first half of the book is indeed the story of a guy (Jack), who is stuck with two dead-end and low-paying jobs but who dreams of being a photographer. He meets Mannie, who takes him through a six-step process of structured brainstorming, checking feelings, reframing the problem, generating more ideas, finding solutions and taking action over several weeks and several meetings. That bit is pretty transparent, but hey, it's a helluva lot more interesting than reading about it in six chapters with titles like "Generating Solutions." And there is a cute little romance with the barista from the internet cafe where Jack does his research, which makes it more palatable as a novel.

Then the author did something really gutsy halfway through--just when you think the entire novel is about how this schmuck lived his dream to become a photographer, he throws in a secondary conflict, which ends up taking over the novel: the cute barista disappears, and Jack is roughed up by thugs who threaten worse if he keeps dating her. The second half of the novel is a wild, search-and-rescue adventure, and the kicker is that the mission is carried out by normal people by way of--you guessed it!--creative problem-solving. Actually, it's pretty riveting and a nice, non-boring way to showcase that particular type of process thinking. Doesn't have to be all business, does it? Why not throw a little rough and tumble in there, a la McGyver, huh?  I mean, if that guy didn't approach problems creatively, who did? :-)

At any rate, I enjoyed the novel and enjoyed watching the characters approach their conflicts and problems this way. Hey, I might even have learned a thing or two. ;-)

Five-minute business fix

I've been pondering an upcoming contribution for the Great Big Small Business Show, "what five-minute thing do you do every day to promote your business?" Trouble is, I can't think of one. That is, I can't think of ONE.

I set aside 15 minutes each morning to answer essential email so client requests don't get lost in the hundreds of messages in the inbox. But that doesn't show a tremendous amount of insight, does it? You're supposed to answer email. I check my feedreader two days a week and catch up on some 20 feeds that I read to stimulate my brain and participate in online conversations--but that takes a lot more than five minutes. I compose blog posts twice a week. I do Technorati searches for myself and my business to see how HMP is stacking up online. I send handwritten thank-you notes. I attend networking meetings. I do photo shoots. I lay down scripts. I do a lot--but nothing for five minutes every day.

Hmmm. And then Gray Miller sent me this post on morning rituals, and I realized that's exactly what has been missing--that one, five-minute thing that centers the morning, that clarifies the battle, that reiterates the reason that we do all this every day. I'm not sure what that five-minute thing will be. Maybe mediation. Maybe some yoga, as I get to know more of the poses. Maybe sitting outside with my coffee (until it gets too cold, of course) instead of in front of my computer. Maybe walking around the block without my iPod and podcasts in my ears. Maybe something more technical--making one phone call every day to a client or former client to check in. Maybe handwriting thoughts out each morning with my favorite fountain pen.

Travis Wright already asked something like this in his post, but I pose it to you as well: what five-minute thing do YOU do every day for you, your business or your life?

GBSBS: Going Global

Listen to Episode 12 of the Great Big Small Business Show. This week's topic: going global!

Global business can be simplified for small businesses. This week, we talk about ways you are already connecting internationally, how to create more connections, and how to find resources to help you take your small business global.

Laura Allen - Civil War, Coke, Tsunamis, and   Green Tea

Laura Allen talks about how Civil War, Coke, Tsunamis, and Green Tea are all a part of Global Business. She shares her theory on how it might be possible to end war if we all sat down and drank some Green Tea together. It seemed to work in that old Coca Cola television ad.

Becky McCray - Global isn’t as big as you   think

Becky   McCray shares her international business experience, talks about how small businesses can take a first step into the world, and where to find help to do more globally with your business.