Tomorrow midday I have a regularly scheduled meeting I highly look forward to. Every other week on a Wednesday is something we call “BusinessForward” which is a peer mentoring meeting.

The origin of BusinessForward came out of need. Myself and my design partner and friend Emily Brackett of Visible Logic, Inc. were talking one day about the everyday challenges we had of running, leading and growing our businesses, plus the need for a peer group to both share with others and get help with our own issues. During that conversation I recalled a similar group I was in several years ago called “Circle of Progress” where we would be held accountable for doing something between meetings by publicly stating it, and supporting each other through the process. Though Emily and I speak and work together throughout the week, I suggested we start it ourselves, with the intent to grow the group organically, rather than seek out a number of people first, as our goal was growth of our businesses, not growth of a group.

A Peer Mentoring Group Is Born

With that, our peer networking group was born. We wanted to call it something, and after bouncing words between Chicago and Portland, Maine, we came up with BusinessForward, as it’s what we wanted to do, move our business forward. As for the structure of the meetings, we decided to meet every 2 weeks, and each week we could commit to a task, outline its steps, and set its priority for the period. At the start of the next meeting, we would recap our previous commitment, if we completed it or not, and why. We would then state a new commitment for the next period. To facilitate this Emily created a PDF form which we would email to each other prior to the call, thus putting our commitments in writing.

Committing to something in writing was not to intimidate us or to highlight failure. Instead, presenting our plans was to benefit everyone – an idea for one business could certainly carry over to another. As well, when talking through the steps with someone else, you may recognize something you may want to do different, or another member of the group may have something to contribute to it. Stating it in writing allows you to use the card as a milestone marker and a target until the next meeting. Positive reinforcement is the hallmark of any peer group, and the bi-weekly card and statements were key to that.

But Before We Begin Each Meeting…

Prior to the first ever BusinessForward meeting, Emily asked if she could share something that was bothering her. I agreed, and thus started something that was an additional tradition and positive point for each meeting, something we called “the bitch of the week!” Before our turn in the meeting, we would state something work-related that was bothering us. It could be a client paying late or an issue with a vendor or whatever. The point of this became to help clear an intangible but clearly impeding issue from our heads and workplace, and by sharing it we could get some reinforcement and feedback from the collective. For me, it is something I look forward to just as much as my commitment of the week.

And Then There Were Three

After BusinessForward was going strong for several months, I shared the concept with Kathryn Neal Odell of Sales-Onsite, LLC, who has become a good friend and trusted colleague. She found the concept interesting and after discussing it with Emily we invited her to join as our 3rd member. The addition of Kathryn was a great move, as it gave not only another person to collaborate with, but someone who has a wealth of experience in working in sales. By contributing her conference call line it added a level of structure so there was no need to hunt down where each of us was. Kathryn raised the bar for participation in BusinessForward and in the selection of any future members.

The Success Is In The Results

So has BusinessForward been helpful to our businesses? I will only speak for myself and scream, “yes!” In addition to the positives sprinkled throughout this writing, I must add as a business owner, many times we make decisions in a vacuum or with what we think is all the information we need to decide. BusinessForward has helped me not only with the larger decisions, but with the steps to take in meeting the objectives of my business growth activities.

Do you belong to a peer mentoring group? How has it worked for you? Do you share my desire to be in one? Your comments on this are appreciated.

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Business • Strategize • Thrive • (6) Comments • Permalink

The next likemind will be Friday, September 17, 2010 in dozens of cities around the world.

In Chicago, it will be at Argo Tea, 140 S Dearborn St. at the corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets in the Loop from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al. For more on likemind, read this great article on likemind Chicago from the Newcity and likemind from the New York Times.

No RSVP is required. You are also welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

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Before leaving on a recent trip I went to the shelf at home to grab a few books to read. As I perused the collection put together by myself and my wife, one caught my eye – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I had heard of the book, but never read it. I remember playing a song in elementary school band based on the book (why I remember that today, I have no idea!). It was my wife’s book, and a small one, so I saw it as a quick read to add to my list for this year.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is the story of a seagull who likes to fly, rather than flying as a means to eat as all of the other seagulls believe. As a result, he is an outcast, and is banished from the society of all other seagulls. Where this upsets him, he feels the collective is wrong and continues to work on and improve his flying skills. The story continues with others realizing he is not wrong, but different, and their interactions with Jonathan.

So could I possibly have takeaways on a fictional story about pesky birds? Actually, when compared to many of the books I have read throughout the years and wrote about here at The Hot Iron I most certainly have! And here are my takeaways from this book of prose and photos.

In the end, you have to live with yourself – You may be wrong or you may be right. However in the end, you are the primary person who has to deal with you. If you believe doing or believing in something is the right thing to do, then you must do it, and be prepared to deal with those who don’t agree with you or any circumstances.

What some may consider fringe behavior may not really be – It seems no matter the decision we make, someone will come out and say it is not “normal” or acceptable. We are considered outliers as a result. But getting beyond your closest critics, you will find some who see your actions or decisions to be not so unusual or outside of the norm. Where getting a second or third opinion is always recommended, you may simply need to be surrounding yourself with other likeminded people.

You won’t know if you don’t try – Whether it’s flying from heights no other seagull has flown before or starting your own business, you won’t know if you can or can’t until you try. What some consider taking a great risk may not be that great of a risk at all. The idea of a going outside of your comfort zone may not be that great of a leap of faith at all. Take a look inside of you and you may see something you haven’t seen before.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a quick read, and an inspiring one. This book from the 70’s is timeless, and I recommend it to everyone.

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Book Take-Aways • Thrive • (2) Comments • Permalink

Sunscreen – check. Sand shoes – check. Desire to check email while on the beach – check!

I’m off to southern California for the Nokia E73 Mode beach party to be held on Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach, CA. The folks from the word-of-mouth marketing team of Nokia, WOMWorld/Nokia, have invited me and others from around the country, as well as a number of folks from the LA area, to participate in this unique event, which you can read more about here.

While we take advantage of the sun and beach, we’ll be trying out the new Nokia E73 Mode mobile device, which is available at T-Mobile in the US. It appears to me to be similar to my E72 device, and I will find out first-hand for sure this weekend.

If you’re so inclined, you can follow along on Twitter, and we’ll be will be using the hashtag #e73mode. I’ll also be checking out the camera and may do some video streaming, though my main focus will be on how the E73 can fit into my work life. Seriously!

Thanks again to the folks from WOMWorld/Nokia for inviting me out to this great event. And for the sake of full disclosure, or more like to keep the FTC from coming after me, you can read about my relationship with Nokia.

Editor's Note: I updated several links which have changed since this was first posted. (8/24/2020)

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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Diversions • Mobile Technology • Thrive • (4) Comments • Permalink

Coming off the successful launch of the Spartan Charters Web site last week, my Web consulting firm Dunkirk Systems, LLC is proud to announce the launch of the redesigned Web site for Chicago artist Augustus V. M. “Gus” Higginson.

The Web site, at www.AugustusHigginson.com, is a showcase for his work and his career. The artwork section features a gallery of his most recent works as well as some of his past works. As an architectural historian, many of his works pay tribute to great buildings, including The Rookery in Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Center. His works are large-scale, and the site features detailed photos of his works as well as the entire pieces.

Once again, Dunkirk collaborated with Visible Logic, Inc. and Emily Brackett for this project. Emily’s design not only serves as a great backdrop for Gus’ artwork but also captures the essence of the artist as well. Behind the scenes of the Web site is powered by ExpresionEngine, the great content management system which we at Dunkirk have been working with for years for many of our clients. This provides the ability for editing of all content on the Web site and provides an infrastructure for managing search engine optimization. Integrated in the home page is Gus’ Twitter stream, which you can follow and see photos of his current and past works in process.

On a personal note, it was a fun project, especially working with a local client. Most of my clients are not local, though despite this they progress very well, and many times I have met the client after the Web site was completed! It was great to sit at the table with Gus during each phase of the project.

Whether you have an appreciation for architecture, history, or simply want to see a unique perspective on some great places, check out the new Web site for Augustus V. M. “Gus” Higginson.

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Announcements • Thrive • Web Design • Web Development • (1) Comments • Permalink