What a lot of people don’t know is how we accomplished that success and what it could mean for you and your business success, but we’ll tell you so you can use the idea.

First, we partnered with The Chicagoland Chamber in Chicago. We were members of the chamber and as such they provided us with the space we needed to host full-day bootcamps where people could go through the seven steps of Networlding. We offered those interested from the chamber and from Fast Company an option: either they could pay $350 for the full-day event and we would include the Networlding book and guidebook or they could buy the book on Amazon and pay just $50.00.

It won’t surprise you that the majority of people bought the book. Over the course of the first year more than 1000 professionals and business owners came through the bootcamps. We also found that people really enjoyed their groups and as a result, a number of people who connected a decade ago are still good friends, colleagues and even business partners.

Now we are back in full swing with Networlding Circles and we’re looking for people to start circles again through one of our certified facilitators or through ambassadors. If you are interested in beoming a Networlding Ambassador click here to contact us.

Want to start getting better business faster today? Start your own Networlding Circle and I will join you by phone for a session!

Here is all you have to do:

1. Purchase the Nano-Second Networlding book by clicking here.
2. Purchase the Networlding Guidebook by clicking here.
3. Set up a group date by contacting us by clicking here and telling me about your goals and I will help you get started.and promote it with you.
4. Use tools like LinkedIn, MeetUp, even Twitter to gather a group.
5. Read the Nano book and then start the Networlding Guidebook with your group.
6. Set up a time to bring me into your group by Skype or phone.
7. Visit with me online where I will share my twenty-plus years of wisdom helping people achieve transformational opportunities through Networlding.
8. Once you go through a group experience have participants start an extended group but continue to reconnect with your starter group to share wisdom and great connections.
9. Finally, email me (melissa@networlding.com) with your success stories. I would love to showcase you and your success!

The Networlding Guidebook is designed as a companion to author Melissa Giovagnoli and Jocelyn Carter Miller’s bestselling book Networlding. While the first book provided an introduction to the overall concepts and practices of Networlding, this guidebook is intended to help you put Networlding into motion in real-time. Filled with checklists, questions and exercises to help you assess where you are in terms of your networks and the goals you hope to achieve through the implementation of Networlding, as well as a month-by-month action plan to roll out the process, The Networlding Guidebook is a fun, practical and easy-to-understand resource that helps you transform relationships from a pipeline to opportunities to a lifeline in our new world of work.

The Nano Networlders Book. It Only Takes a Second to Change Your Life Forever. Do you wish to surround yourself with people of like-minded values but struggle to find them? Are you experiencing a variety of ‘takers’ in your life, and spending all your energies defending yourself or your department or your company? The Nanosecond Networlders show us that there are compelling new solutions to some of the most vexing cross-cultural, career, and organizational business issues we face today. These solutions recognize that every decision is made in a split-second, and that although we often deliberate for months, the moment of commitment is the moment that counts. Making that commitment in a way that is firmly rooted in recognized individual core values is the key. No one can remove those barriers alone. This book shows us how to participate in an ‘exchange’ of ideas, values, and solutions to break through to our true potential-by leveraging the limitless possibilities inherent in every conversation we have.

“Mary has held top tier positions with First Data and Fifth Third Bank prior to starting her own consulting business. A respected speaker at industry and client conferences; panel participant and moderator, Mary speaks on a variety of topics emphasizing value creation, establishing long term relationships and strategy initiatives.

Mary brings the same energy to the speaker’s podium as she does to her corporate consulting. Mary has more than 20 years of highly successful leadership experience in marketing, sales and business development in the banking and electronic transaction industries.  Mirror Consulting focuses on developing programs for small and large businesses alike, bringing specific focus to special projects while you manage your daily business needs.

Her passion is her unique ability to dial in on universal challenges and identify simple, yet effective ways to manage through them. Her new book, Cracking the Value Vault does just that.

Check out more information on Mary on her Networlding Circles Page.

I was recently talking with a group of leaders and made this observation to them. They had a hard time grasping this concept so I thought I would share it with others to get your thoughts.

In Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents he talks about the fact that the Internet offers us the new opportunity to meet all those like valued people that were previously ellusive. Now we can connect with these people and co-create amazing new opportunities. Sometimes these people will be our clients or customers, sometimes they will be people who connect with us online.

This week I met five amazing leaders– only one was connected to me by people I have met in person. The other four were introduced by people I have met online. They were able to connect with me quite effectively and quickly as they had oodles of info on me written by me and others. They could further talk to me from their place of what mattered most to them that was also relevant to me–Points of Commonality as I call them.

How do you weigh in? Can introductions be just as strong as a referral?

While the Net Generation makes up about 27% of the U.S. population, Generation X and the Baby Boomers combine for a significant 38%. They are well-established in their careers and hold positions of power and authority. They are hard-working, independent, goal-oriented, and competitive. But most importantly, this group dominates the world’s largest web-based business network – LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s membership is what Neilson Online is calling “The world’s largest audience of affluent, influential professionals.” Not only is the LinkedIn population highly educated (over 80% have bachelor or graduate degrees), but it’s also wealthy and successful. The average household income of the LinkedIn user is about $108,000 per year, and over 20% of LinkedIn users are senior level executives and managers. What’s more, over 60% are either decision makers in their companies or have direct influence over key decisions related to product or service purchases.

At this point, it’s apparent that LinkedIn has an older audience compared to sites like Facebook and MySpace (although Facebook’s audience is growing larger and older as we speak). As of summer 2009, the average LinkedIn user was 43 years of age.

While LinkedIn has proven its ability to help experienced professionals exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities, its potential in helping the Net Generation is clearly untapped. We found that, of the 70 million+ with profiles on LinkedIn, only a mere 4% are categorized as students. Best-selling author and publisher Melissa Giovagnoli wants to change that.

Teaming up with co-author and professional development consultant John Fowler, Melissa wrote Graduate to LinkedIn (@GradtoLinkedIn) specifically to educate college students and young professionals about the power of LinkedIn. The group that could benefit the most from this useful resource is the same one underutilizing it to the greatest degree. To John and Melissa, LinkedIn is the most powerful networking tool available, so why aren’t students capitalizing on this opportunity, especially before they complete their degrees and enter the world of work?

John and Melissa harmonize with Don Tapscott’s perspectives. The Net Generation should be embraced; not labeled as entitled, lazy, or disrespectful. This group is filled with technology-savvy, collaborative, and innovative people – they are social networking mavens with a passion for making a difference in the world. LinkedIn is an opportunity for these individuals to create access to the people who will play an integral role in their development as working professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs. It will help bridge the gap between the sages of society and the leaders of tomorrow.

It’s time for college and graduate students to leverage existing social networking skills to find and connect with their future mentors and employers. It’s time to start building a career support network. It’s time to Graduate to LinkedIn.

The book Graduate to LinkedIn: Jump-start Your Careeer Support Network Now will be released in August 2010 by Networlding Publishing. You can also find authors Melissa Giovagnoli and John Fowler on Twitter via @networlding and @johnrayfowler.

* Information taken from: Tapscott, D. Grown Up Digital. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.

He had randomly selected residents of Boston and Omaha  sending letters to a separate random Massachusetts stockbroker. The requirement was they could only send their letters to people they knew on a first name basis. Surprisingly, it took just five people from the first person, on average, to reach the stockbroker. Years later this concept of 6 Degrees is still being explored.

In today’s networked world many audiences I talk to resonate with my statement that we now live more in a “2 Degree” world. So how do we make this phenomenon more real and useful to grow our businesses and careers? I decided I would try a real story that surrounds the expansion of Networlding into Europe.

To begin, you’re probably wondering what the flowers to the right are all about. They are virtual flowers send to me from Helen Murdoch of MA Consulting out of the UK. Helen is in charge of marketing for the consulting firm that recently partnered with Networlding and me. We had a great conversation over the phone talking about the event we plan to do in October of this year the week of the 18th. Helen followed up the phone call with an email with a link to a site where I received these flowers with a note that said,

“Thanks for a fantastic meeting today – it was brilliant to achieve so much….after all it just takes a NanoSecond!! It was a great `bedtime read` – here are our roses which will bloom on both sides of the `pond`. With much appreciation, Helen”

I was touched by the thoughtfulness and decided I would share the journey I am taking to help launch Networlding in Europe with you to help you gain a better understanding of the growing Networlding community–a community of both practice, connection and better and faster goal achievement. With Networlding growing on sites like LinkedIn (check out our latest Networlding Europe Group), we are able to help those who want to experience values-based networking through the system Jocelyn Carter Miller and I co-created ten years ago.

So I begin with Helen but there is more and I’ll be sharing the story of how I met Helen and the other great folks from her company as well as how we plan to keep growing Networlding Circles throughout the US and the world and how you can participate and realize “better business faster.”

2. Women and men network the same way. Men tend to focus on opportunities that come out of networking relationships while women tend to focus more on the relationships. Actually men can learn from women and women from men, how to bring these two skills together to create better opportunities faster.

3. Networking is just “partying” in a business environment. Networking opportunities often coincide with social activities in a business setting. Do not take advantage of readily available food and drink by over-indulging in either.

4. Networking does not come naturally to most people. What comes naturally for some, but not many, is the ability to meet and converse with almost anyone. Effective networking, however, goes beyond the ability to “connect” with others. It takes strategic ability to discern what opportunities will be best for each person with whom you network. Every key relationship you choose to develop takes strategizing to determine when, how and what you will focus on to leverage each other’s opportunities.

5. Networking is also called the “Old Boys’ Network.” While the “Old Boys’ Networks” utilize many effective net working techniques to get what they want, they are not the embodiment of networking. Networking in its purest form does not involve exclusivity, elitism or secrecy.

6. You can go to a networking event, meet someone and make something happen in a few minutes. Great opportunities can evolve within minutes of an initial networking meeting; however, you cannot force it to happen. You can use meetings to meet great people, but you can’t force something to happen. Networking in the ’80s and ’90s was often focused on doing business or pushing for career connections without first creating connection. Good networkers know that they must first make a connection, then build the relationship,
and then explore opportunities for themselves and their partners.

7. Networking is one-dimensional. Effective networking is holistic. It requires us to look at the human being behind the title. Meeting influential people is first about knowing what matters to that person and then, sharing with them how what matters to you complements what matters to him or her. This connection starts a “joint” conversation as to how you can support each other’s goals.

8. Good networkers are extroverted. Many good networkers are introverted. They don’t enjoy going out to meetings but they do it anyway, deciding that they would rather meet one or two people they can build strong relationships with than not make connections. They realize that growing their careers requires them to build relationships with diverse types of people with whom they can share support for growing successful.

9. Networking is a numbers game. Networking is first and foremost a quality game. It is important to be prepared. Success happens “when preparation meets opportunity” by knowing what your goals and dreams are and sharing them clearly with the right people. Look for people who are natural networkers whom you admire. They are out there. If you don’t know of any, ask a trusted friend for his or her suggestion. Be on the lookout through the web for leaders you admire. Know who these people are. Find out what matters to them. Develop relationships with them by identifying those things they care about that also matters to you. Now you have a springboard to a quality relationship that can last a lifetime, building opportunities for you and those in your network.

Special thanks to Dan Limbach for his contributions. Note: this piece was written almost 10 years ago. How much has really changed?

1. If you’ll notice I co-authored this with John Fowler (click here for his LinkedIn Profile). John had read Networlding (strange for a 29 year old) and was actually using the process to grow his career. When I learned of what he was doing through info he was putting out online, I contacted him. We met and, in the spirit of Networlding, I asked him what “transformational things” he wanted to do in his life. Through that question, he came up with an interest in writing a book.
2. I put John out as the first author on this book. Why? Because Networlding is all about doing things differently, being at the cutting edge–especially in the social media, social networking space. John has true leadership at the age of 29 and a great knowledge of LinkedIn. He should be the first author also as the book is focused on his generation.
3. I am donating 50% of my proceeds to the cause I focus on in Networlding–helping college grads get “smart starts” in life. What does that look like–coaching college grads, special pricing on this book and our Networlding guidebooks and anything else I can think of that will make a difference for them.

With the enormous percentage of college grads not getting jobs this year, I want to do something about it. This is how I am helping. Please let us know your ideas as to how this book can help.

Contact us at our Networlding site to learn more how we can reduce the cost for organizations that want to provide the books for their customers or clients to help their children get smart starts after college. Go to http://www.networlding.com/contact.php.

But you want to do SOMETHING. You think of all kinds of ways to get out of the rut you are in. You start to network. Each new person you meet could, perhaps, maybe, possibly be the connector to the next job or the next new piece of business.

I just got done reading Chris Brogan’s blog today. It’s about independence. He has been where many of you are. He lived on Ramen Noodles. I lived on peanut butter. What did you or are you living on when you are in a rut?

Chris says the day of the one job or one big client (I would say) is over. I would agree. I have been an entrepreneur for twenty-three years. In July of 1987 I started Service Showcase, Inc., the holding company of Networlding. It took me twelve years to get out of the rut I had put myself in from paying for college on my own (second through fourth years), graduate school and law school as well as the $50,000 I put in to start my business. I can’t say that I still don’t have peanut butter  weeks. I do.

In fact this last month has been a peanut butter month. So what advice can I give you? I would say that, like Chris, we should look to one another. We should see where our skills lie and our passions are and start to share with those in our network how we have helped others become more successful. Yesterday I did that and here is a short list to help you imagine what yours might be:

• Helped Stephen Simon (producer of “Somewhere in Time” and “What Dreams May Come”) get his spiritual cinema community growing through a ten-city book tour. This is now a very big success.
• Helped my sister get her start in life by sharing with her that I think she should go into sales. Now she is extremely successful with a healthy six-figure income.
• I helped a great company named Time Zone One land one of  their biggest clients.
• I helped John St. Augustine connect with someone in Networlding that led to him becoming Senior Producer of  The Oprah Winfrey Show.
• I helped Andres Tapia get his first book out which realized him at least a million-dollar new client and a 20% increase in speaking.

How have you helped others? How does that translate for your network? Comment below. Share your list. Join the Networlding Group on LinkedIn and share your stories. Declare a NEW INDEPENDENCE for yourself.

ps. Note. I am changing my name to Melissa Wilson now as I got married and it’s also easier to brand! So you can find me by that name also. Thanks!

ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle (Wiley).

Whether you’re negotiating a major deal, interviewing for your first job or graduating college, the benefits of ROAR! and pursuing The Awesome Experience are endless. In a charming and motivational manner, Daum has the insight to create ROARing successes in both the professional and personal realm for anyone looking to succeed.

I asked Kevin what he attributed to these numbers. He responded, “It’s a combination of timing knowing when certain media events or buying events are coming. I knew I was speaking to a large group and they would be buying a number of books and then focused my energy on for a groundswell with my family and friends. ROI from an efficiency standpoint.”

Kevin tells the story of a company that spends $10,000 a year on a self-published book that doesn’t sell  them but, instead, gives them away each year and, as a result, gets back $150,000 or more from that investment. He continues on his process, “I took a book from concept to contract in five months called Green Sense and got a five-figure income. In my column I focus on  convergence of need, entertainment and the unexpected. I didn’t have the money that Patrick Lencioni or Seth Godin had but I had a network and I am a marketer so I took what I did have and made it work.”

So what’s the Amazon status of his book currently?

Stats: #1 on Amazon, month of May 2010, #1 on Amazon in the category of Marketing, has been #22 overall

AUTHORS EDGE!

Help get Kevin onto the New York Times Bestseller list. Buy his book (click here). Send me a receipt and I’ll send you a free copy of our e-book, The NanoSecond Networlders.

Additional Gift! – We’ll put you on the list for a free, book club chat!

Bio: Kevin Daum is a bestselling author, marketer, and Inc. 500 entrepreneur. His sales and marketing approach resulted in more than $1 Billion in sales with a 95 percent pull through rate. With over 25 years of experience in theatre, finance and marketing (an odd but effective combination). As a National Columnist for Smart Business Magazine Kevin teaches companies how to pursue The Awesome Experience for their customers and has authored several books including Building Your Own Home For Dummies. For more info visit: http://kevindaum.com/

And finally, who would think of putting a tatoo on their chest that says, “New York Times Bestselling Author” but Kevin Daum? What a guy!

So this is how my brain works. I decided I would then Google interesting facts about Kangaroos and how, somehow, they are like humans and have their own unique networks. So here goes. Did you know:

1. There are more kangaroos in Australia than there are humans?
2. There are 45 species of kangaroos in Australia?
3. They can run up up to 70 miles per hour?
4. They do box with one another but prefer to kick with their hind legs?
5. They live to around 18 years of age?

Now, this may not mean much to you but just thought it would be fun to think outside of the box when it comes to networks. Or, if you will, this blog post is more so about how to think differently to get to a place of breakthrough in your blogging. How am I doing? Did this help you? Was it the least bit interesting?