Net Cotton Content

A Respectful Request

You're smart. You know smart people.

I need to meet a few smart people. So, I'm asking you to introduce me to one (or more). 

My Motivation
Years ago, I needed more perspective. I was becoming stale as a business owner. And I felt "lonely at the top."

So I gathered a dozen business owners. We met confidentially to share experiences and insights. At monthly meetings, we described our challenges and opportunities — and greatly benefited from each other's agenda-free recommendations.

The result of my participation was substantial: Young Isaac became more professionally managed, process driven and — when I was ready — sellable.

This experience also improved my life beyond business. Held accountable by my peers, I allocated my time more intentionally. I was able to be home more. Life got better.

What I Am Doing
In November, I will start convening a monthly think tank for people who run companies. This group will meet monthly to address everyone's most critical issues. I'll bring in expert speakers for learning. And, separately, I will meet each participant for a monthly one-to-one coaching session.  

After researching the best way to do this, I have affiliated with Vistage International, the world's leading chief executive organization with 15,000 members. My group will have immediate, online access to a powerful network of global insight in every industry. 

Who Do You Know?
Here is my request. Please suggest two or three people you know who:

• are confident, 
• have revenues of at least $1 million, and
• are facing the challenges and opportunities that come with growth and success.

If they are right for my group, you will have done them a great favor. I will apply my best efforts, talents and care to improving their lives — and the lives of their families and employees — substantially.

If The Shoe Fits
Of course, all of this might be right for you. If you think so, contact me for more information. 

Here's a short video on the Vistage Experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZqeMwHV9P4&feature=related

 

 

 

Not Yet Enough

I'm not sorry. Not about this. 

The recently publicized scandal at News International — about hacking phones and bribing police — has drawn an official letter of apology from News Corporation's Chairman and CEO, Rupert Murdoch.

But his apology falls short. An apology requires certain technical aspects. (For those, read here.)

What's Missing?
Mr. Murdoch doesn't take the step to the first-person singular. He's apologizes on behalf of the corporation, which is appropriate, but like Oedipus, he seems unaware of his own actions.

Perhaps he's avoiding legal exposure. O.K. But, until he apologizes for his personal actions — encouraging phone hacking and bribing police — he hasn't fully apologized.

And he certainly hasn't demonstrated that he's not currently continuing the same behavior.

Oh, he's sorry, all right.
He's sorry. And his ethics — manifest during decades of tasteless, blindly ambitious media, encouraged to break stories at any cost — are especially sorry. 

But he seems only sorry that his flunkies were caught.

About Your Complaint

Remember my grandfather, Andy Sokol, of blessed memory? Net Cotton Content is named for him. (That story is here.)

As a self-made man, a true-life, up-from-the-boot-straps Horatio Alger, my grandfather didn't have much patience for people who kvetched about their daily problems.

He preferred to get on with it. Solve the problem. Ignore it. But, most of all, stop complaining.

Here's How He Stopped Complainers.
Andy would simply hand them a small card. He had a stack of these printed, back when printing was a much more hands-on, more expensive activity.

They were business-card sized, but they were big enough to produce a laugh from everyone — and get the conversation back on track.

Of course, this was before the invention of the Complaint Desk.
It was before we were a service economy.

For Andy, the customer was always right. But not every complaint was worth the time it took to voice.

A Dream Comes True

I have tried to be merciful with you, my friend. 

Merciful — and not mercenary.

There is no advertising on Net Cotton Content. I write for free. (Sometimes I request donations to charities.)

I have only very rarely spoken of SpeakerSite, the business suggested by Rob Emrich, which we co-founded in 2008. It quickly became the world's largest social network of public speakers. Imagine that!

SpeakerSite is mission-driven to democratize public speaking — opening doors and turning on microphones so all of us can share what we know.

Because everyone has a message. And every message has an audience.

Today, Will You Permit Me An Update?
Well, after years of toil, Rob and I — with the smart folks at QStartLabs — have launched the 2.0 of SpeakerSite.

It's the SpeakerSite Marketplace. 

Would you please take a look and let me know what you think of it? It's at speakersite.com.

I'd sure appreciate that. 

Why did we do it?
Because the 5,000+ members of SpeakerSite Social Network have long asked for the functionality of a marketplace, where meeting planners can find, assess, and contact speakers. And our social network technology platform wasn't flexible enough to do it.

So we bit the bullet.
And we've chewed on the bullet for nearly 30 months. We've spent a lot of money and time developing SpeakerSite 2.0 Marketplace. 

Would you please take a look and let me know what you think?

Oh, and feel free to list yourself. (That's free.)

Oh, and feel free to upgrade to a Professional Listing. (That's not free, but valuable.)