John,
I would be happy to give you three hours - not three minutes. Could we
get together next time I am in the LA area or you are in the Bay Area?
I will be in Orange County in about a month. Is your need
more urgent than that?
Paul
Hey
John,
I really liked the old format, where you tackled the new technical
stuff. and presented the inventors and the new products. I will help. I
could suggest several luncheon conferences subjects. If you like I will
complete the list and see if I can get the sponsors. how much does a
luncheon cost the presenters ? Is there a procedure outline?
Skip
John...you
are a communicator. With that in mind, I suggest you:
(1) Devote a few hours a day to call and re-establish contact with the
people who've helped you "make the business happen" in the
past that you've not spoken to in 3-6 months or more. Re-connect with
them, find out what their concerns are, and then quickly figure out an
effective way to put on programs targeted to their needs. You'll be
amazed at how quickly this will work. As you survey your members, find
out what added value and what didn't. If you find you were spending time
on something that didn't really add value, quit doing it.
(2) Tell people what kind of help you need re-building. Be as specific
as you can. If you want new members to sign up, ask them for help in
this area. Ask if they'd be willing to make an introductory phone call
on your behalf so you can follow-up with a "warm call." People
are followers--give them the road map.
(3) I just spent 11 days in California (San Diego and Northern
California). The traffic issues are terrible. Driving to a meeting may
represent an uphill challenge. You may need to examine ways that people
can participate
in your programs by teleconferencing in from the comfort of their
office. The old ways may need to be amended. Also, this could
extend the geographic reach of the programs, something that might be
attractive to your program sponsors.
Hope this helps!
All the best....Dave
John,
I'll
give you a call about "Sustainability" its the latest thing
that UC and many other agencies (including the governments of the Netherlands
and New Zealand) are getting into. It has LONG TERM business
applications that may be of some use to you if we think about it in
clever ways.
I went through a divorce twenty years ago. You only think you lose
everything. As you said, you still have the concept and you clearly
still have the motivation. I've never had a heart attack but I have had
quite a medical history. Hang tough! You have lots of people on
your side and they are willing to return the effort and support you have
been providing for all these years.
I hope I can give you some productive ideas.
Dave
John,
I
am sincerely sorry to hear you're in such a difficult situation.
Absent the heart attacks, I've been there and can perhaps empathize in
some small way. I don't however feel that I know you well enough to
offer advice. So I will anyway. The only advice I feel competent to
offer is twofold: Consciously put it in God's hands. Find and join a
local Promisekeepers group. You will find the tremendous support you
receive from the friends you will develop through that group to be
emotionally uplifting and, as has been the case with several in the
group to which I belong, possibly even helpful in a very practical,
everyday life, way. If you will put it into His hands, consciously and
deliberately, and then pay attention to and take advantage of, the
opportunities he places before you, you'll come out even better off than
you were.
Phil
(See
attached file: www.grief.htm) I hope this helps! If you want to contact
me again please feel free to do so.
Blessings,
Kitty
Dear
John,
Thanks for being so open - you are something else and it's refreshing! I
don't have any great ideas for the moment; but will give you support
from the sidelines. As a small business owner, know where you are. Jack
has had 2 h.a.s with double by-pass surgery and a very mild stroke last
year. All with a business that has been limping along because of change
in product line and not enough capital to bootstrap effectively. We are
a 34 yr. old startup with great products. VCs aren't enthralled with
folks like us!
So it's waking up with sheer terror at times, looking into a pit; but
keeping the faith that the right things will happen. And when times are
the darkest, the miracles occur. Things come out of the blue, the
totally unexpected and that present worry is put behind you. The lesson
always is the same - stay steady, work the hardest/smartest that you can
and keep the faith that the right things will happen. Build, build,
build a step at a time.
You have a great concept. If you believe it is right for you to continue
(from the gut, heart and bone marrow) then you will succeed. If you are
not having fun or rather do something else - take a deep plunge and find
it.
If you would like, give me a buzz anytime - As I said, I have no great
thoughts; but can be a sounding board. Meanwhile, continue to be John -
honest, full of energy and enthusiasm.
Sincerely,
Trudy
John,
I don't know you or the Business Forum well enough to suggest options.
But the Business Forum concept seems a great one to me, I have always
been impressed with it and you.
Glad to hear you are recovering your health, sorry to hear you have such
a rebuilding effort ahead of you. I will pray for your strength,
creativity and prosperity.
Warm regards,
Susan
Hi
John!
Sheesh,
what a time you've had. Yes indeedy, you do still have a great concept
in your possession. What goes hand-in-hand with that concept is a
positive attitude and customer service ago-go.
With your chin up, ears and eyes open and your sleeves rolled up, you're
ready to rebuild!
Debbie
John:
sorry to hear that things are tough. I wish I had some suggestions, but
don't think of any right now. I'll certainly let you know right away if
something comes up. Hang in there!
Best regards,
John
Hello
John,
So sorry to hear about your misfortunes. I hope things get back on track
and that your business rebounds quickly.
I notice that you now have luncheons mostly in the S. California area.
Are you planning on returning the the bay area anytime soon?
I suspect that luncheon presentations from employee motivation experts
would receive a good reception from bay area executives. Now that the
bloom of the quick buck from stock options has faded, most execs are
looking for other ways to motivate and retain employees.
Best wishes for your great success.
Regards, Norbert
Hi
John, sorry to hear about your misfortune but glad to hear your health
is improving. I would be glad to be a reference account for you
personally or the business forum.
Best
wishes, Ron
John-
I don't know what to say...
My past two and a half years have been very similar... Also a disastrous
divorce (left EVERYTHING to the ex- except the debt), virtual start
over, relocation, new job, slow recovery, new love interest - then
rejection, sister's cancer, violent death of a dear cousin (and
resulting death of her father- directly tied to his inability to
reconcile his "protector" instincts (which we all, as males,
have) with his inability (through no fault of his own) to protect when
she needed it most. Life just isn't fair most of the time... How we
chose to deal with it all is where the problems occur. Please don't lose
site of who you are and what you have to offer.
Remember when your life was more in balance and you were living in a
state of equilibrium... You can still make valuable contributions! (I
know I have a tendency to see myself through the eyes of others I care
about and never really question the validity of their perspective,
which, at some point, you must do in order to move ahead.)
Accept your present condition as being temporary only... Your obvious
desire for fulfillment will manifest itself in positive ways- if you can
see the forest... And don't beat yourself up about feeling the pain...
Accept it as a necessary part of the healing process- something I am
still dealing with at this very moment- and know you will, with time
learn to deal with it.
Two very important Business topics from my perspective are these Rolling
Black Outs and their impact on California Business and it's Economy, and
Strategic Business Planning in an economically insecure environment. Not
sure how well organized the business community in your area is regarding
leveraging their weight but I would think there is some opportunity to
host a number of forums on the subject. With your business connections,
I would think you have the perfect opportunity to spearhead some
political activism in that regard.
Hang in there!
George
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John - we'll talk
tomorrow
Barry
John
I will call you later
this week.
Joe
Hi John,
I am interested in helping you rebuild. You appear to be a fighter and
you can rebuild again, you did it before and you can do it again.
Sheryl
John,
Sorry to hear about the tough year you have had.
I don't really have
any profit ideas, I guess if I did I would jump on them myself.
However, I do wish you
the best of luck in your efforts.
Best regards,
Matthew
Eleanor Roosevelt
wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life, But only true friends
will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you
once, it is his fault; If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds
discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people
are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make
them all yourself.
Friends, you and me.... You brought another friend.... And then there
were 3.... We started our group.... Our circle of friends.... And like
that circle.... There is no beginning or end....
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift.
Marsha
John,
I, being as lowly soldier in my company, who has had the limited
opportunity to attend just a few of you luncheons, have the suggestion
that you get some IT outsourcers together and they could pitch to the
Business sources how their service can save $$.
That could build into
HR issues and I am sure you, if you haven't already, can think up a few
others - good luck.
Bob
John -
Sorry to hear about your divorce. You seemed so happy with your young
family! I wish you well and am sure that you will go forth and
prosper!
Do you ever hear from Larry?
Suzanne
Hello John,
I am so sorry to hear about the difficulties you have been having. Is
your health better? I hope that you are getting better. It sounds like
you are gearing up to get yourself re-situated and on better footing.
I don't really have any good ideas at the moment. Some of the trends in
our company is to manage product development from a Meta point of view
in order to better understand any issues and to have a better confidence
level in what is being launched when.
If something comes to
mind, I will be sure to forward any thought on to you. Have you been
attending any conferences where you can network to see where other
companies are going or what their needs and concerns are?
Once again, I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Hang in there.
Best wishes, Lynn
John,
Hello. Dan here. We exchanged a few words in a brief flurry of
conversation a few months ago. Our company arranges funding, does
management consulting, coaching, etc. I wanted to acknowledge your
message.
Certainly, I heartily applaud your ability to ask for help when you need
it. I'm so sorry about your situation ... heart attacks and
divorce are serious at best and can be cause for a less healthy response
(in others). Bravo, and best of luck in whatever direction this takes
you.
With your background, you will most certainly land firmly on your feet.
Big question: What do you WANT to do? Your bio implies you can pretty
much do what you want. This time of reflection will probably give you
more choices than you can imagine.
Do you currently
believe that something good will come of it? If not, you might consider
acting "as if" (i.e., skillfully fake it). This is an area of
great subtlety and importance. What you are presently assuming is
probably what you will produce.
I, for one, am suffering the recent loss of a close business partner, a
fellow Brit, who at age 60, passed away suddenly and tragically. Nobody
knows what happened, exactly. His family is coping, somehow. He did not
know how to ask for help ....
I hope I'm not being too dramatic ... I'm not even sure why I'm telling
you this. Perhaps it will be cause for, once again, appreciating the
life we do have, and resting assured that the money will come.
Best of success,
Dan
John:
I not only applaud you
for doing this; I like you a lot better for it. I'm sorry to hear
about your travails, but I guess that means you're participating in
"life" even if it's not the one you expected.
I have always thought
you had a sensational and unique concept. Perhaps it just needs some
tweaking to better appeal to today's environment and demands.
Fondly, Seena
John.
You have a friend but
I am not sure what advice you are looking for. Please clue me in. I
would be more than happy to help in anyway.
Jo
Dear John,
Life can be certainly challenging at times. But, I thank God for your
great attitude.
Please include us in your mailing when you are hosting anything in
Pasadena.
God bless you,
Adelle
Dear John:
You will get through this and be even stronger. You are in my prayers.
Adrienne
John:
I hope for you that
whatever you are trying "to rebuild" at this time in your
life's journey that you are doing what is most meaningful to you, and
not just singing another man's song. If not, you may be missing a once
in a life time opportunity.
You are probably aware
that no one can tell you what to do, what path to follow.... you are
your best teacher.
Good luck. You asked for ideas. You might read a few versions of The
Fisher King
Regards, Richard.
Hi John
I'll keep my eyes and ears open. Right now I don't have any creative
ideas for you but I'll keep a good thought that things happen for you.
Robin
John,
I just got your message today, as our e-mail has been down all last
week. I had no idea that all of that was going on with you. Thank you so
much for letting us know.
I can't think of
anything to help concerning the Business Forum, but I most certainly can
be praying for you, which I will do.
Just remember that the
Lord is mindful of your circumstances and is standing by you. God bless
you.
Sue
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