Today was the first of 12 SESSIONS produced by the DOMUS CONSULTING GROUP's Social Media Webinar Series for ACTIVE RAINERS (and others, but very specially priced for us!) Practically a giveaway! Thanks to BRAD ANDERSOHN for the blog-rally about this (see Social Media & Marketing Webinars). He was in attendance, along with DOMUS co-founders, KEVIN BOER and PAT KITANO. I knew I couldn't afford to miss it, especially since I only pick up on these technological advances after lots of absorbing and 
practicing. My brain was wired from a different generation---and then some--- and so I usually seem to have a lot of re-wiring and unscrambling to do. While the brain doesn't necessarily improve with age, the good thing about it, I'm told, is that it can improve with use. This fact alone is what motivates me. Once I grow accustomed to a new way, more efficient, faster, better, bigger method or technique (& seemingly smaller technology), it's just the joy of playing with new toys and having a lot more friends over ---aka social networking!
One thing I gathered from today's broadcast is that it is A LOT about perspective... to be able to grasp what is happening, it is essential to have an understanding of your place in time, not just as a point in history, but as a medium through which we have transported stories and ideas. For the first time since time management became a task, our placement in space brings us into a new work/business arena... in other words, your placement and presence in a cyber-world is critical. In a business nutshell, you can not only manage your time without being online/connected, or YOU WILL BE virtually lost in space.
While a short amount of time was spent on identifying a punchlist for this newly-constructed forum, the significant length of the presentation illustrated the muzzling of mainstream media that was (and much of it still is), historically, owned and controlled by a few. Now, since about 2001, especially heightened after 911, we have the masses (the many) going mainstream as an organic whole. The social media is 
converging with the mass media, and beginning to replace a lot of it. This is a huge change in journalism and how we receive information. Kevin and Pat talked about how the whole blogging phenomenon took off around this time, and, with the introduction of MySpace, became mainstream. Then YouTube began generating video. These were the seeds for social transparency, which translates to the astounding revelation that you/your business really can't be anything but authentically YOU! Kevin and Pat put forth what I thought was a powerful statement: "The key to creating successful philosophies and businesses is to be socially transparent." (This, by the way, is the main work of DOMUS CONSULTING, setting this up for companies). I picture the mix as striving for A CONTINUUM--- a coherent whole, methodically harmonizing what is sound, and hammering out what is discordant or non-synchronous. The speed at which you can develop a network and build a business is rapidly increased, because information travels at high speed and "everyone knows everyone else in a transparent society, and you'll form these serendipitous relationships." (I can personally vouch for this already!) Kevin and Pat continued to embellish this concept by suggesting that this is "the next generation of a Brian Buffini, a referral-based marketing style with a lot of personal, face-to-face going on." It is noteworthy here that there isn't an online emphasis [yet] with this marketing style. "Communication is being broadcast now and is much more efficient" This doesn't mean that the personal touch is outdated. Not at all. As long as we're human, that just can't happen. It merely informs us of the new phenomenon of "intimacy" being created through social networking, often well ahead of the formal handshake and face-to-face meeting of a new client, colleague, employer, partner, etc..(Before you are HERE, in real time, you are THERE in real space.)
Related Activity Suggestion: watch Real Estate Coaching 2.0
Final Note & Action Plan: BE A TRANSPARENCY FOR THE TRUTH AND INTEGRITY OF YOUR WORDS and your WORK. WE ARE AMPLIFICATION SYSTEMS IN A UNIVERSE OF SOUNDness.
© Copyright 2008 - This posting and the contents written here, except where noted, are the property of Mara Hawks, All Rights Reserved
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How far we've come?? You are such a love!! I value your presence so very much. People like you were created when God said 'Let there be Light'...
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Mara- This all sounds intriguing. I like what you said about age and rewiring the brain :) I know you embrace new technology, and it has to show in your work. I know it does on this platform of Social Networking :) Enjoyed your article.