Linked In Connections: 5 Tips and some Resources!

Linked In, Open Networker, Defined: An Open Networker approach to social networking encourages introductions and connections as a means to empower business professionals. Benefits of Open Networking has resulted in new jobs, reconnecting business colleagues, and attracting new customers and partnerships.

When the topic of Linked In Open Networking emerges, many interesting debates unfold. Most commonly the discussion invariably turns to the whole "quality" connections versus "quantity" connections. The "rules" of networking are not matured to a widespread acceptance, and yet, with people doing what works best for them, LinkedIn grew to 9,000,000 members at the close of 2006! Talk about market share!

This blog will not try to resolve the issue of quality versus quantity. Learning to create working business relationships that compliment your style and preference is always the right approach. People network because they have business needs, it is profile clarity, accessibility, endorsements, and connections, that creates an image that people want to meet.

Networking Resources:

• Linked In Groups:
  
• Linked In Helping Friends Group
• Forbes Group
  

• Yahoo Groups:
  

• LI Helping Friends Yahoo Group Networking Links Library
• Open Networkers Yahoo Group

• Blogs /URLs
  
• LinkedIntelligence
• The Virtual Handshake (While you are there, BUY THE BOOK!)
  
• TopLinked.com
  

Dawn's Opinions On Linked In Open Networking: One size does not fit all in the world of social networking, and this is one reason I have come to appreciate Linked In, for it's quality of business professionals. I have tried other social networks without as much success, now if my objective were "dating", I would have found a market in some of the other social networks, being a happily married mom of 2, I have been an open networker on Linked In for several years now, and have made and received introductions that rocketed my professional image, or that of my valued colleagues.. Isn't that what social networking SHOULD be about?

That being my experience, and successfully connecting to many opportunities I would have never found otherwise, I am a clear fan and advocate that for this professional Open Networking is practical and serves me as well as my connections.

I was not always open to Open Networking. I was one of the average members with 40 or less connections. However in my industry the churn and change became so aggressive that our Helping Friends Career Network depended upon me becoming open to people I did not know directly. Here are 10 tips to manage Linked In Open Networking.

1. Complete, current, and valid profiles only please. I do not accept connections from anyone who has concurrently worked for 90 years for every Fortune 500 company. I also tend to distrust incomplete profiles pointing to a free mail account and a fictitious looking name.
   
2. Get to know your connections well enough to represent their interests. I like to call this a Master Networker Consciousness. They communicate their offering and desired connection requests and get to know their connections needs as well.
   
3. Beware the flame-- it can burn mighty hot! There is a nobility in respectful business behavior "virtual" does not mean "free venting". Your name, your reputation and your image is in your communications- whether your communications are good or bad. That person you flame could be a friend of your friend... a potential employer, or business partner. Explain your position, clarify uncertainties, but be practical. It is largely impractical to flame someone for not responding fast enough, for denying your request, or refusing to forward a request for any reason. This happens very rarely because most people seem to get it.
   
4. Invitation Templates.. I am not offended by "system" templates, but some people are. I don't mind a template that is created personally and used repetitively if it tells me who you are and why it is valuable for us to consider connecting-- in fact that makes it easier for me to accept.
   
5. Check out Linked In Answers.. This is a great place to get to know the many networking professionals.. Got a question about how to make your network work for you? Post the question on Linked In Answers.
   

Dawn Mular
http://linkedin.com/in/dmular

The Serenity of Solitude..

Perhaps we had grown so intent on our path that we sometimes miss the still quiet voice that offers gentle direction! It is offering direction, but the chaos of our mind can not hear over it's own buzz. It is in the quiet restful moments that we start to hear that voice again.

• You have grown too busy to appreciate the real problem you were sent to solve.
  
• There is more graceful abundance than you recognize.
  
• "Distr-action" can feels like a busy, spinning away from the action on the path of life purpose.
• How many times has opportunity knocked, and I was screaming, I am not worthy?
  

Today I was reintroduced to Dr. Earl Smith's The Zen Coach blog. "The Benefits of Quiet Time" really spoke to me. I blogged on the topic "The Secret: Mindful Results and Artistic Vision". Sometimes I dream of autumn leaves swirling around me, thinking the land should be clearer, and I should be busy about the business of clearing the ground. A "type A" response to a perfectly natural and beautiful phenomena of autumn would be to try to control the litter while it is being created. Any attempts to distraction might cause you to miss the magic of a cool autumn wind freeing the gold and red leaves to fly, swirl, and twirl to the earth.

It is now winter in Ohio, and a white blanket of snow covers the earth, the grass and sky. Imagine my delight this morning to look out and find a flutter of red-- it made me think of the beautiful autumn, but this was better. In the cold of winter, today a spectacular scarlet cardinal perched outside my window, looking into my office. He was stunning, and all I could do was to try to remember that moment for the joy it represented, rather than trying to "freeze" the moment in pictures to be preserved for later.



Dawn http://linkedin.in/dmular
Helping Friends Career Network http://hfcareernetwork.com
Linked In Helping Friends Business Blog: http://linkedinhfcngroup.blogspot.com/
Join our Linked In Helping Friends Global Business and Career Group

Creative Collaboration and Open Networking

Creative Collaboration Build a solid sense of community, ask questions, introduce one another, create topics that enhance the business community value.

Participating within your community network allow others to get to know you and your expertise. One of the people I have come to treasure, is Vincent Wright-- a creative, collaborative, community minded delight or self appointed "Chief Encouragement Officer", Vincent looks for synergies and opportunities to be useful. Early on in the stages of Helping Friends Career Network, this talent taught me much about the tools, the possibilities, and the responsibility of a good community leader. LinkedIn is a practical vehicle to generating business partnerships, job opportunities, or reconnecting with colleagues.


Open Networking Open Social Networking is not a requirement for success, however for those who are looking to develop an effective business network, the cultivation of community building and networking with Open Networking can allow you to expand your partnerships. Sacred Cow Dung was the first guide to the notion of Open Networking. Not every professional wants to be an open networker, and be thinking of your connection's needs.

Several Linked In Yahoo Groups Exist can help people learn how to use Linked In more effectively WHILE connecting with others.

Open Networkers is dedicated to just that very purpose, and it's founder, Ray van den Bel, an expert in social networking for business potential.

Join us by subscribing here:

Subscribe to opennetworkers
Powered by finance.groups.yahoo.com

Other Linked In Yahoo Groups of interest:

• HFCN Job Leads
• LinkedIn Fearless Executive Women
• Linked In Helping Friends Business and Career Network
• LinkedIn Telecommuting Professionals

Dawn
http://linkedin.com/in/dmular
http://hfcareernetwork.com

Supercharged Linked In Functionality..

One of the things that continues to amaze and amuse me is the vast number and types of problems that can be solved through social networking. The news of "MySpace", YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc, continue to reach the news and hold the intrigue of it's readers.

In Guy Kawasaki's blog "Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn", some of my favorite factoids shared were:

• People with more than 20 connections are 34 times more likley to be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than 5 connections.
• It is a great utility given the global network of more than 8.5 Million professionals representing 130 industries.
  
• 100% or ALL 500 of the Fortune 500 are representative in LinkedIn, and 499 of those companies are represented by director level and above connections.
  
• 11-12 of the practical business problems you can regularly solve with Linked In.
  

Truly there are monetary benefits to increasing your visibility, making it easy to know how and why to connect to you, search engine optimization benefits, and for identifying information that can help you to help others.

It starts with you, your profile , your portfolio, your keywords, and your image, rippling ever outward to create opportunity from you and for your mutual connections, and groups, and community. This zen like feeling is matched with a business frontier benefit making social networking truly a tangible emerging business frontier.

After you have invited everyone you know however, How do you manage and increase your visibility? For me the answer came in from Linked In Groups. From these groups I started to learn some of the secret benefits of Linked In that allowed me to make better use of the tool. Groups extended my knowledge, let me help others, while I learned from others, and created a solid platform from which I could extend my connections to people that can help solve the problems that I or my clients need to have solved.

Linked In Groups offer a fun way to connect with others. However when industry luminaries such as Forbes create a few of these groups that allow organizers who host the group to stay in touch with their customer, their networking needs, imagine the competitive value. It is good for the host of such groups in driving brand recognition. It is good for the members who can extend and accelerate their professional reach through association, introduction and referrals.

Collegiate Groups, Professional Alumni Associations, Trade Organizations, Local and global networking Groups Use Linked In so that members can network with one another and extend their presence online and beyond. Costs for such groups to be established are free for many group types, or available at an additional charge for Directory Listings to the organization and then free to it's members.

So Why would Linked In Group Owners NOT want to use fully the power of this offering? Perhaps it is enough just to see a list of people interested in putting a brand image on their profile that others can relate to. It could be the ready subscription vehicle for online newsletter distribution..

How to Extend your Linked In Group Appeal and reach:

1. Make it easy to create a viral market for your group.. Teach others how and why groups are powerful. They will invite connections that relate as well.
   
2. Host several networking events for how to use Linked In -- the "how to do" Linked In becomes part of the Network vision.
   
3. Extend the communications naturally for your group to transcend just connections..
   
1. In the thoughts of Napolean Hill, this is about creating a Master Mind Group where people's ideas are enhanced by the power of community. Create a Yahoo or Community Group where Directory, Calendar, Email and Messaging can continue between meetings. Let the people of the community define and interact with the community, not just add connections to one another.
   
2. The Message Boards or Community boards create interest groups that specifically highlight the talents of it's members, and creates new channels for expression.
   
3. Consider cross branding using the RSSCalendar.com or a browser based Group tool bar to extend the functionality of the group.
   

My favorite of all favorite group forums is MyLinkedIn Power Forum, hosted by Vincent Wright. This community offers a MLPF Logo but more importantly many Usage Group Tips, and expertise, not the least of which was the genius of Vincent Wright himself. I will be very sorry to see this group closing down on February 9, 2007. It features a Linked In Business Directory, Best Practice Examples, Linked In Member Profiles, Networking Tips, resumes and much more!

With the spirit and wisdom of Vincent to inspire me, I created Linked In Helping Friends, a Business and Career Linked In Group. It features a single Linked In Group, a master LIHFCN Yahoo Group, and several channels, each with their own message boards, focus and networking hints:

• HFCN Jobs networking for recruiters, job seekers and community.
  
• Linked In Helping Friends Career and Business Network
• Linked In HR Marketing for recruiters and headhunters to collaborate, share best practices.
  
• Linked In Fearless Executive Women.
  
• Linked In Ohio
  

Forbes Linked In Groups offer several Interest Groups for Business Leaders. I would like for the channels they publish to have a community networking capability, however, I have received some excellent networking opportunities from this group, which primarily would loosely consist of people who have read or heard about Forbes with interest channels for

• Life,
  
• C Level Officers,
  
• Entrepreneurs,
  
• Personal Technology, etc.
  

TALK BACK:

• What are your favorite Groups?
  
• Why?
  
• What do they do that make them helpful?
  

Linked In Answers Even for Questions Unasked!

Linked In Answers has allowed us to get to know a bit more of the personality and charm of our network connections. What a natural extension to cultivating a community and get to know one another!

THE QUESTION Paraphrased: "How to do viral jobs marketing on Linked In to get good people without being a bad spammer?"

Ray Van Den Bel answered the question and provided a link for more information. His generousity in the community was always evident, but truly this taught more than just an answer! Ray is an amazing individual I have known through the open networking community for some time, but never much more of a context for expansion..

Through the magic of Linked In Answers I came to appreciate a talent Ray has for some very clever Web 2.0/3.0 Marketing and Utilization tools and I had not appreciated them until someone asked a question about how to do viral jobs marketing on Linked In, and his response created the kind of credibility that made it easy to get to know him, and happy to have access to him.

The experience of Ray's site made the answer more personal and with more personality. Why?

What I learned from this had nothing to do with the question asked and everything to do with presentation and making yourself accessible, personable, in a friendly and helpful, way when people need the information. Nice!

Enter into Ray's networking blogspot, and the main entry page is a embedded YouTube personal introduction that offered tips into his expertise, the tricks of the trade, and then he closes with an introduction to check out the articles at the bottom of the web page. Best Practice for a Web 2.0 Professional Recruiter was an article he wrote that answered the Linked In Answer..

In the article that answers how to do recruiting in a Web 2.0/3.0 world, he provides a simple matrix of the traditional action, tips and links to DO when taking that action, and traps and links of things to avoid to make best use of the utilities presented.

What Ray has done could be adapted for any industry, for any business application! Now Imagine the possibilities of a happy balanced use of the Social Networking Tools, all pulling together to create a solid reputation that matches your personality! Ray's approach and use of Blogging to reach People, Linked In to address specific needs, YouTube for a personal introduction. Plaxo to keep your key image out there and keep track of your network. Suddenly technology becomes a real enabler, prosperity a possible dream, with a world that is within reach, and Ray is right in my office instead of another world away in the Netherlands!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dawn Mular http://linkedin.com/in/dmular
Helping Friends Career Network
LinkedIn Business.Career Network http://shurl.org/LI_HFCN_invitation
Great Professional Jobs Now! http://hfcareernetwork.com/findajob.htm

Linking In: Inspired Profiles get Results!

Lets become the change we want to see in the world! A great story inspires and encourages others to add some new spark to their profiles.. Anyone game for a Helping Friends Linked In Profile Makeover Challenge? For fun.. For Networking, For Ideas that get results.. We become stronger by having embracing our best selves. Do you represent your best self? Are you open starting to make your profile match your personality, and better create potential opportunity for you? At the end of the day, creating opportunity is the point isn't it?


Guy Kawasaki is a genius who creates compelling prosperity by tapping into the very motive that creates compelling products out of technology, blog works, books, and well... life inspiration.

I love his blog, his thoughts, and warm approach to positive results! So it was no surprise that Guy's Linked In Profile is in the top 99.99% of Linked In Profiles viewed. What does he have that others don't? Few are able to exude personality and competence like Guy! Isn't it funny when someone you have never met, creates a compelling story and uncommon results!

Your fans will forgive any short comings and help to fill in the blanks, the key however is in creating a compelling reason for people who don't know you to be glad they came! This is about rendering more and even better image than is expected of you-- which is a rigorous practice of looking for opportunity to connect with others in a meaningful way. Napolean Hill discusses this possibility as a mastermind group, where people who come together to exchange ideas are not taking the short course, but creating a new dimension and depth of possibility they never could have achieved alone.

So why oh why would one of my favorite inspirations whom I have yet to meet, need ANY makeover help? Altruism and creativity??

Guy Kawasaki enlisted the help of several Linked In Designers to first create a makeover of his profile, and then shared this notion in his "How to Change the World" blog "LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover" with others to share the wealth. Some of my favorite points:

BEFORE:

• Add your Voice/Personality.
  
• Get your own vanity Profile URL (thats easy to remember AND refer)!
  
• Add specialties, people search on this for connections.
  
• Ask more questions using the Linked In Functionality to activate your network!
  

AFTER extreme makeover: Guy Kawasaki Linked In Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki

• Oh my gosh, can you believe that most of his Linked In Profile viewers were missing the thing that most introduced me to him! His blog, How to Change the World was introduced to me by searching some of his incredibly compelling blogworks. I kept coming back!
• Click here for more information! Cool personal view into Guy, which I had NOT seen before. I could not visualize the passive voice he claimed his teacher felt he held.
  

Smart professionals People.. lets start a master mind group on this, perhaps a workshop, a gallery, anything that can make, making the best profiles, fun.. and promotes a positive community! Join the Linked In Helping Friends Networks and contact Dawn Mular with ideas.

Business Network Community: http://1url.org/go/1LinkedHFCN

Linked In HFCN Yahoo Group-- Join and use our calendar, community, and networking for results! http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkedIn_HF_Careernetwork/

Radical Results from Uncommon Approach to Activity

Okay I put off writing this for some time, partially because I was shy, partially because I wanted to wait until the story was better. One thing I have learned in all things women's metabolic, and universally connected, is the relative good and power of appreciation for where you are plays in recognizing and then transforming aspirations. I spent years studying alternative approaches to health that might reduce the impact of a desperate metabolic cycle. I was an expert on the problem, because I was a patient without a solution.

Diagnosis: My Medical chart read Morbidly Obese classical PCOS patient with chronic insomnia and most symptoms of the disorder.
Challenge: Insulin Resistance > Weight Gain > Sleep Apnea > Insomnia. Time and Age multiplied symptoms, the weight gain, and sleep difficulties. More medication, less results. Less results, more symptoms.

Before Training: I hate working out, and I defy anyone who has walked in my shoes to find a way to like it. Intellectually I know the values of exercise. I have dieted and depressed myself to the depths of destruction. I would walk, or work on the treadmill, or whatever. I ate pretty well, but skipped alot of meals because many nights I am going to bed about 5 a.m. and then working a long day to make up for the lack of productivity compared to normal, sleeping people.

I tried it all before. The motivational very skinny and healthy women at the gym.. I genuinely tried they told me that I should be able to work out and do most regular activity, and yet in the back of my mind, I thought , okay, for you yes, but you just don't get me. You don't get how many times I have tried this.. How much I would rather walk out the door cause you are scaring me to death. You don't know what it's like to routinely gain and lose up to 10 pounds every month and function on less than 3 hours of good sleep a night. You probably don't have a need for life balance that includes a range of big, bigger, and biggest, just in case you find the right formula for becoming smaller-- and might need the clothes you wore a few decades ago before all this craziness started.

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: I was exhausted, not just from lack of sleep, but from lack of inspiration. I logged my exercise, my food, all the normal things regular dieters track... I would look forward to the weigh in because surely I lost a few pounds.. not in the cards unfortunately. I would stay a plus plus size woman, with a bad attitude and a good reason for it!

I would be married to a health nut man, who runs 5-10 miles every other day and works out the rest of the time. Intellectually we know the risks of heart disease, cancer, yada yada.. But for the past years, my husband Kevin has seen me struggle genuinely with how to solve the problem-- push hard on one end of the syndrome, and experience a different result, but not relief.

Enter Akron General Health And Wellness: Okay not like I just started going and everything got great. Kevin has been going to the LifeStyles Fitness Center for over a year, I would bat at it periodically, but then frustration and lack of results would cause me to stop. Kevin observed the trainers in action and helped me to pick Jason Leaman-- THAT would be a life altering choice. Getting a coach that has ideas and inspiration when you have none is a great thing.

He redefined my approach to health, looking for a baseline and then a means to show progress. He took statistics to the improved capacity, increased weight, and most importantly, what was I feeling after applying the results to design a custom program for my needs. His expectations of me? Accountability. Easy to be accountable to someone I have to see once a week, but he has gotta understand I hate working out. I hate routine, I hate regiment, I am a life artist, just a sleepy one.

Jason's approach was something new and innovative every week. Less "scale" watching, more tuning on results in physical. I would finish my week working on the other programs of previous weeks. Rotate the agressive one and the gentler ones, but be consistent with activity. My blood sugar levels grew more volatile, and shaky at first.. I was not eating correctly for my body needs, nor was I really in touch with that. I started eating better foods 4 times a day, basically doing the opposite of everything I thought I had to do..

After: Working with a trainer, aside from perspiration, innovation and inspiration, seemed to prove another thing to me.. I CAN achieve uncommon results despite medical conditions by seeking other ideas beyond my own-- being out loud honest about a condition allows it to transform. Being ashamed and embarrassed allows it to magnify. I CAN enjoy a workout, and I AM experiencing tangible benefits as a result of this work. Thinking clearer, moving better, greater capacity.. and I LOVE coming home after a great workout and feeling the soreness from activity rather than illness.

By Thanksgiving, I was ready to join my husband for the first time since college in a distance run. By Christmas I purchased new clothes..having dropped seemingly overnight 2 dress sizes. For the first time in nearly 8 years, I was able to shop in the REGULAR person's section and that was stunning!

I was considering surgery, and we were evaluating medication results every 6 months after the prior round had failed. In January 2007, during my follow up, I made a decision about my life and my health. I have found there are plenty of stories about women who have chronicled years of medication, frustration, and humiliation through the symptoms of a disorder that much of the problems are known about, but it's cyclical nature makes the solution more difficult to know.

I have decided to create the success story for myself and my family to enjoy. In the spring, we are retesting my endocrinal levels, and I am confident that with the weight loss, the improved capacity, and shifts occurring in my life... it is a matter of time before my hormonal fluctuations cease, sleep returns, and I get to start really enjoying even more of the good stuff of life!

Deeper thoughts on the Secret and Laws of Attraction

If life and creativity had no bounds, what might you aspire to do first?

Fascinating how business ideals and new markets are also being created out of the Web 2.0 Communities. The release of the movie, "The Secret" is a classic example of viral market demand with a great trailer, but no traditional theater to watch it in, this movie has sold DVDs and Online Viewings in Record Numbers, and has gotten the tradition of more traditional communications vehicles with features on ABC News and Larry King Live.

As a grown up I have found myself drawn into obligatory and almost autopilot life activity, giving insufficient time on the inspirational dreaming-- that kind that fills your soul with happiness and joy. This week was an exception however! And a fun one at that. I took a visionary vacation week, where I took time to dream, think, exercise at the gym, read, and visualize. At the close of this week, I find my muscles acting out, and wanting to be heard. A pleasant sense of calm that can only come from realizing there is a larger force out there at work than what we put in, through the office conference calls, emails, and "busy-ness" of business.

My interests in art, meaning, love, beauty, and social change run deep. In business, I am a Type A Personality by trade and by brand, but a new product is under development, and a new "Dawn" is emerging as as result. Not that there are not values to hard work, and not that I will foresake the traits and values that helped me to get this far.. I will however choose to brand and manage them differently.

Today I recorded my thoughts on "The Secret" on how to create an artistic masterpiece-- a life with meaning, synchronicity, and vision. The Secret was a movie that sparked such intrigue and beliefs that I have held to be self evident, but grown to be too busy to remember of late.

One of my favorite sites is the LawsOfAttraction.com Random Thought Message! And today it really spoke to me as I am trying to define the intellectual, activity and universal requirements for my life masterpiece.

"Never mind what anyone else is doing or thinking-- that's none of your business. STOP FACING REALITY. Keep reminding yourself, "I'm on my way. I'm a work in progress... Be the visionary, and then get out of your own way."

Lots of Great Resources have emerged for applying the Universal Laws of Attraction as highlighted in The Secret. Here are a few of my favorites.










Let me know if you have any ideas, literature, or movies to add to the list.

• What Is The Secret? ::: The Official Secret Blog
  
• Laws of Attraction Thought of the Day Website
• Feel Free to Prosper Mentoring
  
• Prosper Network on Ryze.com
• Manifesting with Natural Ease on Ryze.com
  

How Business Is Embracing a Web 2.0 World

When information is available, free and collaborative, a new world of benefit and challenges are introduced. We see evidence of this already in some of the more advanced tools like Technorati, which allow you to do advanced search features quantify the reputation of the material you receive. ZoomInfo is bringing more feature rich search engine technology capable of utilizing the information from the free Web in a more focused manner.

All this could herald a new paradigm, of businesses thinking more of community, differently of how they arrange marketshare, and how they monetize their product offerings.

People matter. Community matters. Collaboration and Web 2.0 brings that together and watch the magic happen!


Dion Hinchcliffe authored "Creating Real Business Value" business value of Web 2.0 putting the power and the potential with the people, the people creating the community of sustainable value. Here are a few other examples of Vertical Industry Approaches to Web 2.0.


MEDICAL:

Dean Giustini of UBC Biomedical Branch Library authored a fascinating editorial titled "How Web 2.0 is Changing Medicine".

It would seem that the power of community could do alot of medical good with the notion of a sort of medical "Wikipedia". Always the issue is that you can not believe everything you read, however that sourcing issue exists whether the source is internet or printed word. A community ofe like interests can create new possibilities and solutions. In the field of medicine in particular this is fascinating.

HUMAN RESOURCES:

It is no longer as simple as if you build it they will come. ERE.net has created an amazing community of sharing. It is not about "hoarding" knowledge it is about creating experience and that creates opportunity.

One of my favorite bloggers, Dave Mendoza talks about the industry in his Six Degrees From Dave Blog.. On of my other favorite recruiters is Kristen Fife. Both are remarkable to know because they have such a passion for what they do. Dave Mendoza, I HOPE to meet soon, but I felt I knew you long before we met because of your talent for communicating. Kristen's blog Seattle Recruiting demonstrates a unique value for the industry, employer, and community she lives in!

Helping Friends Career Network will continue to be collaborative, not proprietary about our community. We will continue to offer networking that brings together hiring managers, recruiters, and job seekers. We are all better and stronger as a community if we are able to work relationships that create revenue because of the relationship, not out of necessity.

One of my clients recently commented that she values recruiters who keep in touch out of seeming genuine interest in creating a win, whether or not there was a buck in it for them. The "Macy's" Santa Clause notion has been extended in Web 2.0. Those that embrace it are starting to find a community of potential with one another.

It is fun when you can watch the possibilities unfold. In the Linked In HFCN Yahoo Jobs Groups, Job leads are being shared among a community, career professionals can network with resume writers, career coaches, and headhunters on how to develop themselves.. Even using a tool as simple as FrappR Maps the Social Networking story of your group starts to unfold just by watching the widget views..

What emerges when you create a powerful community of knowledge, wisdom, and practical supply and demand is a beautiful tapestry of possibility.

FRIENDLY FACES:








WHERE ARE THE FRIENDS?

On the map, where in the World are the Friends?

New Year, New Prosperity, or Wrong Number??

The calendar has changed,
The gyms are fuller than usual.
It is a New Year, with New Possibility, New Potential and New Prosperity..

So with all this new-ness, what are you doing to embrace change and define yourself ready for your dreams and visions, past January?

Seven Habits discipline teaches the importance of the Habit of Self Renewal. This is a regular and deliberate maintaining of our personal productivity capability in mind, body, spirt, and social/emotional self. "Sharpening the Saw" in seven habit speak is about building your self value, creating a consistency and control to give us the results we desire.

Change being a constant in life, what are we doing to keep the "tools" in good working order? Annual inventory and renewal of the tools that produce your value is more than practical, it is essential.

When you are ready, your home is in order, and your tools are being used, opportunity can sometimes seem effortless. However sometimes overwhelm, lack of esteem or simply, life gets in the way of the results we really desire.

DO THIS TO EMBRACE PROSPERITY IN 2007:

• Learn More About Social Networking for Creating Win Win Possibilities.
• Business case is clear!
  
• Guide to using Yahoo Groups networking
  
• Check out the awesome blog by Guy Kawasaki on 10 ways to use Linked In. Guy is a genious at creating reason!
  
• Getting Started with Ryze
  
• Expand your learning potential, social networks, earning readiness, and business craft-- be a teacher and student of your industry and renew that focus to stay current!
  

DONT TO THIS IF YOU WANT A NEW PROSPERITY IN 2007:

• Right Skills, WRONG key words. It is not the resume, any more, that holds sole authority for employment. Profiles matter, easily put, people choose to do business with someone who can give them the best service for their investment. Companies spend thousands yearly to update advertising, market messaging, customer service improvement, and business opportunity. Companies with major hiring opportunity also use resume scanning to parse out resumes and those with the greatest hit words get called to interviews. The market is changing, shouldn't your professional portfolio represent your competitive edge?
  
• Right focus, WRONG number. Make sure your social networks know how to reach you. More than 65% of jobs are reported to be found through networking versus registering a resume and waiting.
  
• If Opportunity is Knocking, is it the right address? Get rid of numbers, emails, correct address books. Use Plaxo or, PalmPilot, ACT or anything to keep your reference's and your key information channel phone numbers current. Information is power, don't let change of contact information erode your effectiveness.
  
• Today one of my LinkedIn associates asked for a referral to Web Developers, I went through my connections to forward the expertise and several of my key contacts had 2 profiles or more on Linked In. IF FOLKS CANT REACH YOU OR HAVE TO GUESS, THEY WILL FIND SOMEONE MORE PREPARED!

Dawn Mular http://linkedin.com/in/dmular
Free Linked In Business Network: : http://1url.org/go/1LinkedInHF
Free Job Seekers Career Opportunities at: http://1url.org/go/1GreatJobs

Appreciation for my Friend, Judith Price!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDITH PRICE!

Today is her birthday, so to honor her, I want to tell you a story about one of the people who probably has taught me the most about networking in life, just by being, authentically, wonderful, caring, Judith!

In the virtual world of the large corporation we worked for, it would be 6 months of selfless help from Judith before I ever met her in person. We had created a organic team of people who were centralizing office resources to create a more productive work environment. I have always worked around incredibly inspirational people able to make a difference, but in our "AdminsWeb Intranet" project, Judith really came to shine. See as leader of this effort that was not any of our full time jobs, we had to borrow resources. I knew what the outcome of the project should deliver, I knew the content it should contain, but there was no model for us to work from until Judith came in.

The only thing I had entering the project was a solid problem statement, and understanding of the necessary solution, and a vague notion of how to solve the problems. The challenge was that I knew nothing about web design, administration, navigation, or maintenance. Resources in ANY problem seems to be a gift for Judith. She designed our template and taught me basic HTML and how to maintain it. She made ongoing suggestions, that made our website an award winning solution that is still in use 11 years later!

A year later, I accepted a job outside of Corporate Market Intelligence in Information Technology (Judith was an IT person). At long last I got to meet her, and in fact our cubicles were very close, so I learned alot from her, and the many others particularly BobM and GregA all of the IT people were genuine, down to earth and really living the values of an Open Source Service-- they thrived on teaching and helping others. I thrived on learning from them all!

When I found myself stuck, it was one of these 3 people that I would find myself going to, to just talk through the problem and get ideas for solutions. We would share coffee and lunch breaks while trying to solve the problems of the world, or at least our view of it.

I found my home in IT.. A place where things changed fast enough to keep me learning.. a place that seemed to both need and appreciate the quirky skills I had-- and the ability to work in a team of way smart people!

Judith is a kindred spirit. It was in the summer they announced the relocation of our IT operations from Milpitas California to Broomfield Colorado. None of us knew anyone in this new place, but those of us who had become friends in California, treated it as a grand challenge. Judith was the first out to Colorado and quickly learned how to create resources and helps for those of us who followed. We traded notes and networked on housing, real estate, traffic, shopping, and well all the services you need to learn when you move to a new place where you knew no one and did not have an abundance of time to look.

The truest and kind hearted networker I know is Judith. Fiercely loyal to friends, family, and her community.. She was the person everyone would go to when they had problems or service issues to figure out-- whether it be related to IT, Life, or where to live. Judith connected most of us, providing recommendations to real estate agents, accountants, service providers, who has discounts etc. She was our living "Google" but with an easier interface.

As we moved from our temporary office to the newly constructed Corporate Headquarters, Judith was awarded a wise person's leadership "walking stick".. seemed befitting and nice to see her recognized.

Judith seemed to be the type of person that helped people by being a good listener before offering advise. By being a good cheerleader while you built your dreams.. and by being a muse who can help identify solutions that can progess your vision.

We promised to stay in touch regardless, because people mattered, even in the difficult times where there were reductions in force and layoffs. We continued to meet for coffee or quick chats to stay focused.. What can we do to make positive change in negative times? How can we not get tied up in that every person for themselves isolation?

The Helping Friends Career Network was my second community labor of love that Judith graced. She helped me regularly just checking in, seeing what was needed, we decided we would all do what we could to help one another until everyone found jobs.. In 2001 we initiated the effort and told our friends that regardless of what happened in the layoffs, we would stay together and help one another. We did!

The list of job seekers were growing by leaps and bounds.. Suddenly people looking for work exceeded my capacity to research for unique jobs. I started a market out reach plan.. It would be Judith who introduced me to Linked In.. She showed me how to set up a profile, why to do this, and where to go once I had done this.. This would be a leading resource that would only grow in it's time, value and community versatility. Thank you Thank You Judith!

Since 2001 the Helping Friends Career Network has helped thousands of friends of friends of friends to find jobs.. by doing what we did when moving from California to Colorado. Attracting the resources we needed to help others be successful through networking and expanding a circle of friends.

I have worked with some incredibly helpful and bright people in my time. Judith however matches her problem solving and networking skills with a genuine heart and caring for the well being of others. When I moved from Colorado to Ohio, I found myself more challenged and missing that "bulk move" challenge where we were all in it together.

Judith has made a dramatic and successful career change to be a Farmers Insurance Agent. A major change from IT Service and Programs Management, but it allows Judith to more fully utilize her skills and caring for others to chart her own course while doing what she does best, helping create solutions for others. Judith knows and lives the values of networking for win win results.

Her power of community and connections to people continue. In fact how amazing it is that the service providers she referred people to some 10 years ago continue to benefit from the power of community Judith had instilled. The professional photo on her Farmers Web Page, was taken by an incredibly talented program manager in IT, who started her own photography business and proving her creative talents on a new stage.

We talk weekly still and I learn much from Judith still today. She has always been a genuine friend, truly supportive, and willing to speak the truth to improve a situation. I trust her and appreciate her ideas-- whether in IT, moving, financial matters, entreprenurial brainstorming, etc..

Contact Judith to brainstorm insurance, auto or home, or financial ideas. She delivers uncommonly good service, because she cares about creating win win results. Steadfast loyalty and ethical service in whatever she does, I admire and value this woman business leader so very much! I am sure you will as well.

Judith Price

Farmers Insurance Services

Westminster, CO

80021-2722

http://www.linkedin.com/in/judithprice