Sanders Says

It's time to kick the fast food media habit (again)

In my first book, Love Is The Killer App, I advised that we should only spend 20% of our precious reading time consuming fast food media (cable TV, USA Today, etc.).  

Alas, due to my hectic travel schedule and the hotel industry's habit of placing a USA Today at my door every day, I've developed an unhealthy media diet. 

I've been working on the same book for over a month, yet read USA Today cover to cover almost every day.  And it usually states the obvious and at best goes an inch deep into ideas. 

Don't get me wrong, it is important to keep up with current events.  So, on the go forward, I'll stick to reading the Business and main sections of the New York Times (a great publication), and pull my book out on planes and go back to reading and learning deeply. 

Love is (still) the killer app

This book tour is taking me all over the country, meeting people that I've only known previously over email. 

One of the biggest takeaways I'm getting from my travels is this:  Love is still the killer app! 

Here are 2 YouTube clips, shot on my handy Panasonic mini-cam.  I had a friend shoot both of these yesterday, when I was in Cary NC, giving a talk at the SAS Institute campus. 

1.  The Dennie Story -- About a month ago, I received a frantic email from a SAS Institute employee named Tim Fairchild.  He had borrowed his friend's signed copy of Love Is The Killer App to read on his vacation.  He took it to the beach, and it accidently got soaked and ruined.  He asked me, as a favor, to replace it with a signed copy.  I gladly did it.  A few weeks ago, Tim emailed me to thank me for doing it.  He also explained that his friend, Dennie, had just lost his battle with cancer -- and the last time Time saw him was to drop off the new signed copy of my book.  I'm so glad I answer every note, and try my best to satisfy all requests.  

2.  The Scott Wittig interview -- I've been emailing back and forth with Scott for a few years now.  He's adopted my Lovecat system, and gives a testimonial about how it's impacted his BizLife. 

Download a free mini-eBook (The complete Aveda story)

Here's a free eBook, an exerpt from my new book Saving The World At Work:

The Aveda Story

You'll find it inspiring, interesting and very thought provoking. You'll learn that sustainable businesses are filled with people that "report to the planet".

Go to a likemind and get connected

My good friend John Livesay points out a New York Times piece on a new form of networking that's making the social-business circles. 

They Don't Call it Networking!

I think these type of events are the future.   It's not what-do-you-do or even who-do-you-know.  The organizing energy of a Likemind is to assemble people with similar attitudes, beliefs and causes.  They come from all walks, with various levels of resources.  The key is chemistry.  If done right, a Likemind leads to deep conversations, follow up actions and long lasting value. 

Keith Ferrazzi has these types of gatherings in his home.  The TED Conference is a mega-L-Minder.  Catalyst is a Likemind for church leaders of the new school.  A Likemind is like a tribal gathering, except without any expectations of an outcome. 

Let's get killed

I've decided to reach into my CDs-you-have-to-own goodie bag for a music recommendation. 

Many of you first heard DJ-tastemaker David Holmes when you saw the film Ocean's Eleven.  His sense of style, funk and lounge fit perfectly with the stylish film.  Truth is, he makes fantastic party records you can put on for any crowd. 

Holmes weaves a perfect cinematic story in his records.  Last night I listened to his class CD, a single 45 minute mix titled, "Come Get It, I Got It".  It's out of print and sells for $35.00 on both Amazon and Ebay.  

Another fantastic record, that is actually affordable, is his follow up master piece: Let's Get Killed.  It weaves soundtrack, anthem, jam and chillout into a must have record.  You can also download this record for less than ten bucks on iTunes. 

Find the the Green around you

Here is my latest You Tube video from the book tour. 

This week took me to two wonderful places: Park City (Sundance) UT and Honolulu. I made to stop and notice the beauty everywhere. I realized how important is was to appreciate nature's bounty. 

I finally met Ray Anderson, founder of Interface Inc. and sustainability pioneer. He was the opening keynote at a sustainability summit I moderated. His talk was inspiring. I'll report fully on it later, but one question he asked provoked me: Can you think of a place in your mind where there is peace and serenity? Did you just think of a spot in nature? We all raised our hand and collectively realized how important nature was to us. 

It wasn't just dollars and cents. It's her. He has the right paradigm, because he knows what he's preserving. 

FIND THE GREEN IN EVERYTHING

Never Sip and Send

Last week, the New York Times ran a side splitting story about people who send emails or texts while under the influence of alcohol (Drunk, and Dangerous, at the Keyboard).

Funny, but true, we can wreck our lives over email if we've been drinking!  In the study behind The Dirty Dozen Rules of Email Etiquette (an excellent program to bring into your company), we found that grammar and syntax errors jump almost 50% when users send emails after having a single cocktail or a few beers.  Their use of profanity jumps too. 

The lesson:  Never assume you can master email while tipsy.  Much like driving, alcohol will give you a false sense of security. 

The 3 R's of effective (frequent) travel

This book tour is totally grueling. 

The travel schedule is simply insane.  Last week I gave a talk in Palm Springs Monday at 5pm.  I drove my rental car like a maniac to the Orange County airport to make the 9:25 red eye to Newark.  After landing at 5am, I made my way to a connecting flight that got me to Farmington PA in time for a 9am talk. 

Right after the talk, I was shuttled to the Pittsburgh airport, where I caught a flight to Chicago.  The next day, after my talk, I took a flight to Toronto.  The next day, I gave a talk, then caught a flight to NYC.  Now it's Friday, and I'm pretty tired.  I gave my talk at the World Blu conference, then caught the 6pm flight back to LA.  I had Saturday at home, then on Sunday I left for Salt Lake city to moderate a two day conference on sustainability.  As I write this post I am on my way to Hawaii for a talk tomorrow AM. 

Next week has me rolling through Chicago, Raleigh, Kansas City and Portland.  Like I said, this is a grueling lifestyle. 

I have to be on every single day, and I can NEVER be in a bad mood.  What's my secret to travel success?  The three R's:

1.  Rehearse -- Before a big week, I spend some quality time mentally going through all the parts of the week's travel schedule.  I play the whole set of scenes in my mind, complete with complications.  I recheck all the details at least three times.  I meditate on it the night before I leave.  I continue to rehearse as the trip unfolds.

2. Relax -- I take very deep breaths, stretch and find humor in travel complications.  Things happen.  If you have enough redundancy (booking multiple flights to get to the same place), very little actually goes wrong.  I've learned that none of this is life or death, unless I let myself get stressed out.  I play comforting music on my iPod and speak in soft tones.  I smile often to strangers, especially TSA workers and airline employees.

3. Resist -- I avoid comfort foods (fast, fried and snack), as well as excessive alcohol.  I resist watching TV while trying to go to sleep.  I totally stay focused on the week's activities, and spend my energy making my rehearsed travel steps come true without a stumble.

So far, so good.  This life is crazy, but purposeful.  I never forget why I'm doing this -- to change the world one person at a time.  It's working.  People that attend my talks and read my books are motivated to find ways to make a difference at work. 

If you haven't picked up a copy of my book, I urge you to support me by clicking on the links at the upper right hand corner of the page.  If you've bought a copy, please review it online and tell your friends.

THINK: The recycling olympics

Not all recycling is the same. The concept behind it is to close the loop on waste, and drive sustainability into our lives. Many of us think of ourselves as recyclers based on efforts -- but which efforts make the biggest difference? Check out this video I produced on the subject, and see for yourself.

The thinking-blogging gap

If I actually posted all the posts that come into my mind this blog would be five times bigger (both in volume and traffic). 

Frequently, I get ideas for this blog, and usually they sit in my mind until I either type them out or forget them.  In the business world, we talk about the thinking-doing gap and how it impacts productivity.  In the blogging world the same is true.  

Why is this?  We must get to a computer, usually that's online for link references, and go through the writing/editing process.  That inhibits us.  

I'm going to start blogging in audio format.  I've downloaded the recorder application to my iPhone (publishes in MP3 format).  I'll experiment with podcasting.  I might even engage OnSite Media to transcribe my recordings, edit them and expedite my ability to convert my ideas into posts. 

I'm also going to regulate my posting process, where I'll work on my blog over coffee every AM, instead of doing it when "I find a minute."