This blog is now hosted at www.coreykgraham.me/bizblog - As you can expect I am ever evolving and when its time to move its time to move.
Now if you are reading this message in an RSS Reader it would mean that you are not subscribed to my feedburner feed. This means that when I change feeds you would not have a seamless transition and you will have to subscribe to - http://feeds2.feedburner.com/coreykgraham.
Subscribe to my feedburner feed! It helps me to know who is reading which is certainly a motivation to keep writing.
This move is going to be a pretty silent one, no big splash.
I have to be honest the past few months have been quite a roller coaster ride for me. The strides I made in the early part of 2008 towards working smart, had slowly slipped through my fingers.
No, no, no lol, its not that I became less smarter, definitely not! Don't get me wrong! I am talking about "Working Smart". My time, money and energy were not utilized in the right way. My priorities were a big fuzzy and well we know that things to do list was not being referred to as much as I should have been doing.
As a part of getting on track and sticking there, one of the key things I decided to do was to give myself permission..... I gave myself permission to take time to learn how to do my job faster. It's something that in 2008 I missed. I was always focused on just getting the job done and making the deadlines. This year I have been spending more time to "work smart".
Let me give you an example.
I created filters for my gmail 2 of them being a documents filter and images filters. Now, anytime someone sends an image or document to me it gets highlighted. Most of the images I get are actually posters and the documents are proposals. These filters make it a no brainer to find documents or posters in no time amidst the tonnes of emails the flow into my inboxes on a daily basis. It has made my life soo much easier. Let share them with you, after all sharing is caring. And I do care!
For GMAIL (Matches: (.jpg OR .png OR .gif OR .bmp OR .jpeg) has:attachment Do this: Apply label "Pic") Matches: (.doc OR .pps OR .xls OR .pdf OR .docx OR .ppsx OR .xlsx) has:attachment Do this: Apply label "Docs")
Some of the other things I did were - - Get my facebook under control - Organize my workspace making sure I have all my tools to get the job done - Organise my blackberry alerts using - AlertMatrix
Basically I allowed myself to also question my workflows to see if they were effective. In some cases they needed to be changed. I found a change in my perspective of some tasks made my load much lighter. E.g, writing and presenting I not treat as one in the same. They are both communication, different forms of communication but none the less they are communication. I think the key though to working smart especially in this recession time is to build a network of persons and develop healthy give and take relationships. Solve your problems together.
Are you capable of giving yourself the permission to work smart? Are you ready for the next level?
Sum of the conversations we have daily define who we are. Corey Graham 2.0N
Plans To Enhance My Network
This year I have decided to focus more energy into building my network. Those persons who help to expand my thinking, inspire or listen to my ideas. I wanted to invite them into this '2.0 world' I am building. As it evolves and lessons are learnt, I want to be able to share these lessons with the key persons around me so they can benefit from these learnings. At the same time they can share the things they are learning with me.My aim has now evolved to facilitate conversations and encourage Caribbean people to express themselves.
Take A Moment To Study The Art Of Networking With Me
Ironically, networking has always been one of those topics I have never truly taken the time to put it all together in a cohesive way. Its one thing to know the little bits and pieces, but its also important to put everything together. Many of us do not truly appreciate the fine art of networking, it goes far beyond buying a drink at the bar or shaking hands. Nor is it just being able to stand out from the crowd and be remembered it much more than that! I decided that we could take this journey together and see the big networking picture.
Thoughts From Networking Gurus
I seeked out some people who excelled at network and asked for their opinions.
In a recent interview, with Datwon Thomas the editor and chief of King Magazine shared his perspective on the topic, This is a man who accredites networking to be a key part of his success. He expressed, Always ask for a contact. And for those busy and influencial people you need to be persistent. You have to have something to back it up with though. Don't just come to them because you want to talk. Have something that is worth their while. Also look at the one thing you do best and focus on that. Let it get in. Make sure to get out and to make cold calls.
Nurse Karen, soca journalist who seems to be ever in the know, expressed these sentiments on the topic,'I think that all people have opportunities coming their way. People who don't recognize them, miss them. You have you ask questions, shake hands, represent yourself properly, keep in touch, share your ideas and good things will come back to you, it's a guarantee.Or regularly check in with the people you already know, whether or not they are in your field. When people understand what you do they will talk about you. And all of their contacts become your contacts'
DJ Malcolm X who always seems to have connects under every rock -I second those comments from all the above mentioned. Lucky for me most people find me cause of the business i'm into. As an event coordinator, promotor and as a radio personality, ppl send you stuff, they want feed back on an artist.Or they might need you to make that artist known. You must be straight with them if its a good product or not. Keep in contact, let them know its progress...its helps them to see you serious or genuine. Exchange numbers/emails, keep in contact. If you meet with them or have to bring artist and their team here ..treat them as how you would to your self....eg their accomodation, meals and media... you must make them comfortable... show them a good time . They can only go back and you be recommend to others in the field...once you have clean slate like i do (smile).
Ppl will always find you rather than you find them.. then you become a brand , a house hold name....the guy who makes things happen , the guy who ppl want to work with....you must prove that you can deliver. Don't always network based on the successful shows or parties you have promoted or produced, talk about the failed ones as well...let them know you pick back up and go again.....let them see you as a fighter...because everyone knows not all promotions are successful...keep in contact...always exchange ideas and give pointers as well. Treat ppl with the upmost respect and you can only gain ....This is just how I know or how I deal with ppl ... there is no school I went to, to deal with this...I'm a walking canvas...I'm the screen ppl see, so you always have to be prepared or available to network. The way you carry your self and your self discipline is very important.
My Thoughts On Networking
I really love that especially the part about, expressing ideas. I have found that expressing ideas allows you to show your level of thinking. It also gives others a clear insight to your passions and motivations. When people can see that. People who share those passions will find you. Those you want to connect with introduce themselves to you. When people know your passion and motivation they are more inclined to trust you.
In some cases your passion might be passed on to another. It can inspire.Imagine we all are candles and when one person's passion....their fire touches another and lights it. We now have 2 more light candles.Networking doesn't waste your time. It multiplies it!
Based on what I have LEARNT so far I will simmer networking into a few points
- Define your personal brand
- answer who are you and what do you do? Clearly and in simple words.
- keep in contact with persons try to keep connected with people in your field or sharing your passions
- present yourself well
- be social, help people have a good time- Dedicate time, money and energy to communication and contact with people.
- listen thoughtfully when people talk about their dreams
- live to fight another day. If you are not feeling well, opt to interact another day
"The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity."~ Keith Ferrazzi
"Always recognize that human beings are ends, and do not use them as means to your ends."~ Immanuel Kant
"Your network determines your net worth."~ Anonymous
Don't be stingy with your relational investments, giving only to those who've first given to you. Rather, take responsibility for setting the tone of adding value in your relationships. John C Maxwell
"Experience will not save you in hard times, nor will hard work or talent. If you need a job, money, advice, help, hope, or a means to make a sale, there's only one surefire, fail-safe place to find them - within your extended circle of friends and associates." Keith Ferrazzi from his book "Never Eat Alone
Feel Free to comment with your perspective on Networking!
In 2009 I decided to put more effort into building networks of people. Corey Graham 2.0 N I call it. I believe that in the Caribbean we do not have many of our meaningful discussions online especially in terms of sharing ideas among ourselves. We are not truly sharing our experiences and perspectives with each other in a way that will make us all better, and help to develop our Entertainment Industry for example. I strongly believe that this can be an important step in building a Caribbean Community.
Be The Change You Want To See In The World
About a year ago I started a group on the business networking site linkedin.com called the Caribbean Entertainment Professionals Group. This is one of my initiatives to make sure I stick on the positive side and providing a solution rather than magnifying the problem. This group features persons from around the globe who are interested in Caribbean Entertainment and in many cases depend on the Caribbean Entertainment Industry to pay the bills.
Admittedly when I started it, I knew I did not have enough time to nurture it and activate the conversation. However, recently I have been able to have some very enlightening coversations on it giving me a better "world view" of the things happening in the entertainment industry.
Take a look at the group. Feel free to post your appropriate blog posts and other RELATED material on the group for discussion.
I encourage you to start a group for your industry today!
In the last few months I have come to truly appreciate the priceless value of momentum to any organization or movement.
The Law of Momentum
The total momentum of any group of objects remains the same unless an external force acts on the objects.
In the real world there are always external forces acting on an organization, positive forces and negative forces. There are some organizations which have a lot more positive forces acting on them than the negative forces. These organizations seem to be always be blazing a trail, making all the right decisions with many of their "risky moves" paying off. What did you think when you heard Apple was going to build a cell phone? Of course there is the opposite of this where the negative forces far outweigh the positive. These organizations seem to never be able to get it together. No matter which opportunities come their way.
We always look at the organizations that are blazing a trail and chalk it up to simply a stroke of luck... "Oh its their time shine now" "They just keep getting lucky"
"They have a true mastermind planning their strategy"
"They called in CG 2.0 to read their palms ... he ended up giving them all blackberries which made the world of difference their organization and now Corey has earned well over $11 Million from that key insight"
Alrite I think you get the point I was getting a bit carried away there...
My Point - The Value Of Momentum
I believe that we don't always take the time to appreciate how momentum is really a key part of the success mix and getting "lucky"
Often with our heads down in the play book strategizing, we miss the obvious strategy or insights which surface from within the organization.
Many of us, deep down inside believe that to build an organization that blazes the trail it takes some special brand of "magic" that just happens once you get a few wins under your belt.
When we observe other organizations who are moving at break neck paste to the next level and think hmmm, there must be some great genius behind this with an almost flawless and well orchestrated plan.
Hmmmm, I could be wrong, but at least let me make you think! Maybe, just maybe its less about genius and more about momentum. The mystic powers of momentum can cause a heightened sense of creativity, insight, inspiration and genius among the people in the organization.
Most of us watch sports or at least heard the stories many teams seem to keep stepping it up to the next level each time they touch the field/court. Could it be heightened senses caused by all the momentum the team is generating? Can an average player become one of the best players within and organization the right momentum?
Think about that!
I know what you are thinking how do i create this shift in momentum. Well there are many different ways to create a shift momentum. Always remember the genius comes from the crowd of people who are labelled management, team members and fans. The leaders facilitates the momentum. Momentum facilitates genius. Genius takes you wherever you need to go. Momentum Brings out the best in people
Close your eyes imagine what your organization would be like if it had the momentum of a wrecking ball. Alllll that potential energy you have now in "full swing".
Let me leave you with one basic rule to get things into "full swing" -
Never turn your face away from those whose eyes are fixed on your vision. Karen L Richardson
There is a revolution taking place in the world right now. People are being empowered via web 2.0 technologie/social media. Its now easier to get your voice or music heard via blogs and social networks. Its not only about the voice, we are all now much more capable people. You can launch you own radio station within minutes!!!!!
I personally think the way we interact with each other is changing in a very fundamental way and we are not truly appreciating it. Web 2.0 technology - Social Media is a technology. Technology is merely a tool for us complete our various tasks.
Being social is really the big idea here. Facebook, myspace, linkedin etc. are just tools. They are tools which make it easier for us to accomplish our various tasks. Its easy to get caught up with the facts, how many users facebook has or how many blog posts you wrote last month. The core concept is connecting with people.
Its allowed me to be more connected with persons across the world. To connect with people who share similar passions. To share ideas with them. This has allowed me to understand myself and my environment better. I have expanded my thinking. Now I am a much more confident and motivated person.
What are you using social media to do in your life?
He was very clear. These are times when the desire to lead is enough. Great change can happen with reasonable ease in a world today where people can connect easily, primarily enabled by the internet. Blogs and social networking allow people to have a voice they could never have. And it allows their voice to stretch as far and wide and they want it to. Grouping people behind a cause no longer is held back by geographical location, having a position of power nor costs.
Today more than ever the ease of communication and the ease at which an ideal/idea can spread worldwide is powerful.
2008 is a great year. we are seeing all kinds of tiny but fundamental changes in our atmosphere.
The power of a vision and great leaders who fight for them like Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and so many other leaders, can now be amplified by the tools available in a world where the ability to connect has becoming so much easeir. Its no small thing what companies like Google and Facebook are enabling for human kind.
I am glad for the win, its really going to be an eye opening thing. Every black person worldwide should have reason to see a better them when they look into a mirror this morning.
I am excited by these times you know why?
Because you too can build a network? What network are you building today?
I've had a very interesting night, which started off with me having to
defend my new Corey Graham 2.0 logo. A case was brought to me that it
was not marketable, or was not commercial enough.... It made me think.
After speaking with someone close to me it, sparked me to communicate
and to express a few things to you.
Now over the course of 2008
I have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in developing
and maintaining my online social footprint through my various blogs and
social network profiles. I am not trying to sell anything to anyone, I
am merely trying to create a relationship with other persons out there
who share my views etc. I charge people with the full responsibility to
make a decision as to if they want to be a part of this relationship,
to read, follow and comment on my blogs or choose if they want to add
me as a friend on the various social networks.
Yes I am charging you to make your own decision. I am not trying to force things down your throat....
Much
of marketing today has come down to forcing things onto people that
don't need. Or better yet to persuade them that they need it. Although
it adds no real value to their lifes.
The consumer is not charged
with the responsibility to make the decision, in many cases there is
complete disregard for your intentions...you know that. I can see you
nodding your head now!
Recently
I have been taking the time dig deep lay the foundations for my long
range plans. To really live my dreams. As I understand it my core
assets are my creativity and my passion for teamwork and building up
people.....
If I can do nothing more that help/inspire others unleash their
potential and achieve greatness, I will be satisfied with my life.
If
I can become the type of person that you do not "spend time with", but
rather you invest time. Then I am good, my life is complete.
5
years ago I received a dream for a company Drenalin Productions to
develop and build Caribbean creativity. Following this dream has caused
me see the darkest times in my life over the last 5 years. I had more
than my fair share of humbling experiences in that time, some sparks of
brilliance but most of all ALOT of learning. Today though, I can
honestly say that I play my part in motivating and inspiring people to
unleash their potential and go after their dreams. I can't yet describe
for you how I do it but I can tell you where it started. I started with
me, I motivated myself to go after my dreams and one day I looked up
and saw others doing the same!
Now more than ever is the time to get
moving on your dreams. Seth Godin puts it as "small is the new big".
where the power of the internet is creating massive opportunities for
all kinds of small entities.
Drenalin
Productions mission is to create, build, and support innovation in the
Caribbean Diaspora by developing successful products and services for a
creative life.
Now guess what ??? Corey Graham 2.0 brand is a product of Drenalin Productions. Let me explain ...
Drenalin is a dream A perception of a reality that exists in the mind A source of ENERGY and STRENGTH Bounded only by the thoughts created in the mind It is a Dream Now this developing sense of hope
Sparks the adrenaline flow, Arousing the senses Stimulating the mind and Creating a surge that is THE ULTIMATE DRENALIN EXPERIENCE
A DRENALIN PRODUCTION
Corey
Graham 2.0 is a personal brand that is really about living your dream
and approaching your professional life in a creative way. This is
reflected in my personal branding and my logo. It all starts from a
simple idea..... this thought embodies the core concept.
I don't feel like ideas come into my head to die there. (Karen Richardson. poet)
I
am aiming to build relationships with persons who are living their
dreams and approaching their professional life in a creative way. My
logo and all other CG 2.0 endorsed projects will reflect this....
There
still might be another 5 years until I can get Drenalin Productions off
the ground in totality, however I felt like I needed to communicate
this for some general clarity. I'm not a hussler.
One of the challenges I realised when starting this blog was that there was not a central place to find all of the persons who depend on entertainment in some form or fashion to make their living. No its not only artistes and musicians who depend on Entertainment. All those who sell alchoholic drinks and owners of clubs and other facilities that are converted to clubs at nights. They are booking agents, sound engineer, communications professionals and the list can go on and on.
Take the time to join the group on linkedin and feel free to to send out to other relavant persons! The internet makes it so much easier for this to happen, so lets make it happen!
Its interesting how names can stick to you without too much effort. All it takes is for a few people to call you by a new nickname and suddenly it spreads like a wildfire, soon people you don't know are calling you, Corey Graham 2.0. I am not complaining, I am loving it after all its me that coined Corey Graham 2.0!!! lol....
The Inspiration!
I want to take the time to publicly describe Why 2.0? Its about time, many of you have been asking since I launched Corey Graham 2.0 in November of 2007 - check it out here on my D'Journey blog. It has most certainly been a Journey thus far!
Well then, here goes. One day I was in the most beautiful West Indian garden, filled with hibiscus of every colour and crotons. The form of the hibiscus dancing in the wind ignited in my soul the inspiration to become 2.0. I wished it was that poetic!!!! It didn't really happen like that, maybe next time!
The 2.0 primarily relates to web 2.0, along with a general desire to take my life and career to the next level.
2.0 the Social Footprint
I know that a few of have grasped that my becoming 2.0 means that I have my social footprint/ online presence in order. You can find me with a profile on all the major social networks where "de caribbean massive" congregate....
It does not end of it though. That was just the first stage, social networking. My life is much more integrated with Web 2.0 technologies than just my social footprint. Being a part of social networks leads to one of 3 things - personal branding, networking or marketing.
However I use all these new web 2.0 technologies to do sooooo much more-
Project management - Using basecamp from 37signals.com
Document handling - google documents - 2 or more persons can work on a document simultaneously
Group Calendering - google calendar - accessing facebook events from in my calendar and sharing event calendars with several people e.g. events to cover
instant messenger programs - msn, google talk and skype mainly
The best part about this that that I am not tied to an particular pc. At a minute's notice I can switch to another once it has a decent internet connection. I might only be tied to a particular pc if I am doing production work in terms of editing photos or video.
Now that is why I call myself Corey Graham 2.0!
P.S. I have to thank the John Jantsh form DuctTapeMarketing.com whose marketing advice has formed the foundation of the 2.0 crusade. He says make sure your marketing is consistent and unifor and to take some time each day to do some small piece of marketing, and it will add up. It certianly has over the past few months. Thanks John!
Last night, a hurried private gathering of the Corey Graham 2.0's Inner Circle was called to facilitate the ceremonial naming of this blog to "Corey Graham 2.0 Biz Blog". Having evolved over the past months, the decision was taken to appropriately and officially name the blog.
Corey Graham 2.0 Biz blog will feature posts on a range of business topics from -
New Media
Marketing
Social networking
Productivity
Thinkings and Ideas
Applications for mobile technology and web 2.0 technology
many more related topics.....
The Caribbean Entertainment Industry will find itself featured from time to time esp. because if the industry that Corey Graham 2.0 is in. However there will be features on persons from different industries from time to time.
Once again announcing the
Corey Graham 2.0 Biz Blog (www.coreykgraham.com/blog)
Over the past 2 weeks, I've had a lot more time on my hands than usual because of my encounter with Chicken Pox. At first, I was was worried and trying to figure out how I can still get things done for work so that I could still meet my deadline. The pain and the drowsiness from my medication had other ideas for me. They left me with no other choice but to banish all deadlines from my head and focus ona speedy recovery. I ended up spending my time-
reading
watching the Apprentice UK
skimming some RSS feeds.
planning
blogging
I was not doing any massive amounts of work or anything spectacular, however I found people to be very interesting it the things I read or was thinking about. These people might have found themselves doing some of the same things if they did had more time at their disposal. However the reality is that we don't get a chance to do everything we would like to do. That's the problem. Someone has a need. To convert this into a business idea all we need to do it to fill that need.
Business Idea = Find a need & fill it
Some Ideas
You can create services to save persons time and energy?
a personal assistant service
a home maid service
gardening and mowing service
bill paying services
The Simple and Concise Idea
All the ideas above are good ones and they have be already proven, however these ideas are not quite the simple and concise idea.
Many persons find it hard to do the necessary research to keep abreast of all the changes happening in their fields. This is true for many industries in the Caribbean. Many of our industries do not have a very strong online presence and regular updates is a foreign idea.
Finding out new developments, problems and news of your industry, could be a nightmare sometimes even if you are well integrated into the industry. Generally speaking, there is no trusted place for everyone to go to get simple, concise and timely updates on things happening in your industry.
I challenge you to do just that for your area of expertise. Build a blog. and post on it regularly. In many cases you are getting the information coming at you already so its its just a case to post it. Once you become known as the place togo to for all the info. People will send you stuff to post.
Take a few moments to think about how you can work it into your routine. A few minutes a day to make a concise and simple blog post, then repeat it the next day or the next week. Depending on how often you want post. Some of you already have blogs and are struggling for something to write about. Newflash!!! Just listen! look into your your inbox, listen carefully during you next conversation and all your blog posts fall right in your lap, literally!
You will be surprised at how much value you can bring into the lives of the busy people in your profession by just committing to this simple and concise business idea.
How will it make money? Well I can't tell you everything!!!! Use your creative Caribbean intellect
This is a speech by one of my favourite bloggers, Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com) at TED (http://www.ted.com). TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It
started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from
those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating
thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives.
Seth in his talk described what I would term the evolution of marketing. This is something that I believe many of us take for granted day to day. TV ads and radio ads were new, then they were proven and they were very effective. As the world evolves with the power of the internet and web 2.0. We are doing things they would not have done 5 years ago, new things are becoming common place. If you don't look to evolve too, you would end up a casualty of evolution. Anyways with no further a due, I now present, Seth Godin marketing guru,
To most of us when we hear Social Networking we think about casual social networks facebook, myspace, hi5.com etc. The video below showcases the power of linkedin.com network for business. Its a very different perspective. It shows a very different reason for joining the linkedin.com social network.
This video is from the guys over at www.linkedin.com. Great video thanks!
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