With the onset of Blogging and Social Networks such as MySpace and Facebook, the word “transparency” has become akin to revealing all in public. Sometimes casually referred to as “over sharing,” early bloggers talked about everything including their deepest, most private feelings. Photos were being posted on social web sites that revealed drunkenness, partial nudity, or people depicted in violent situations.  Now we have “tagging,” where information can be randomly added to someone’s photo, with or without his or her knowledge.

All is done in the name of being and remaining “transparent.”

How does “transparency” come back to haunt you as an entrepreneur or new college grad looking for a good position at a worthwhile company? A lot of HR Departments are now vetting potential employees on Facebook and MySpace. They can do a simple Google search and find your blog – or literally your online “diary,” where you have revealed not only your deepest thoughts and concerns about yourself, or your religious or political beliefs… but you’ve revealed too much of yourself that may hinder you getting the position that you are interviewing for.

A lot of professional web sites such as LinkedIn have a “profile meter.” Asking you to not only include professional information about yourself – but also personal information. All geared toward someone getting to know you better. Transparency.

However, now is the time to become a bit more “authentic” and less transparent. Let’s learn how to deal with our external world, the business world, by being faithful to our external ideas and judgments about business, clients, prospects, and peers. Being authentic to universal external concepts and perspectives regarding honesty, business etiquette and the reciprocation of ideas, and being open to the perspectives and ideas of others you are doing business with. While remaining faithful to your internal ideas… but keeping much of these ideas and perspectives to oneself…or at least on a personal blog or profile and away from the eyes of your external word…the business world.

Cd Vann a.k.a. Thatwoman_soho , owner of sohobiztube.com and Publisher of Magazine Soho is passionate about remaining less “Transparent” and more Authentic when participating in professional and social networking circles. She enjoys a good glass of wine and a chocolate cigar.

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Here are the 12 Most-Read Numbered Posts in 2008 at Slow Down FAST:

12.    5 Tips for Becoming a Better Listener
11.    5 Qualities of Successful Relationships
10.    6 Ways for Effecting Change in Your Life
9.      6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Busting Out of the Rat Race
8.      5 Signs It’s Time to Slow Down Fast
7.      6 Ways to Be a Friend Without Involving Money, Gifts or Obligation
6.      5 Ways to Reconnect to Your Inner Child
5.      10 Great Productivity Web Sites
4.      5 Signs You’re a Pleaser and What to Do About It
3.      5 Simple Tricks To Make You Smarter
2.      8 Essential Ingredients to Master Your Time
1.      The Causes and Cures of Procrastination

Thank you all for your support throughout the year, and best wishes in all your future endeavors.

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So, after 700+ posts in 2008, I’m publishing the 12 Most Read Posts at Slow Down FAST so we can all get a jump on the new year.

Thank you all for your support throughout the year.

Here they are:

1. The Causes and Cures of Procrastination
2. Mindhacks: 5 Ways to Increase Creativity, Productivity and Intelligence
3. How to Overcome the #1 Fear: Public Speaking
4. 8 Essential Ingredients to Master Your Time
5. Do Not Wage Psychological Warfare
6. Stuck in a Rut? Fire Up Your Creativity with These 7 Steps
7. What Are You Passionate About?
8. See How Easily You Can Handle Change
9. How to Maintain Professional Boundaries
10. 5 Simple Tricks To Make You Smarter
11. 5 Signs You’re a Pleaser and What to Do About It
12. From Greedy to Grateful – Appreciating What You Have

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I don’t even know where to begin to explore the kind of impact the Internet has had on life as we know it in the last several years. You might find some people who feel the impact has been negative, that it has posed threats to our privacy, corrupted youth, and hurt traditional business by competing with price and speed.

Yet, I feel, overall the Internet has offered so many more positive opportunities than negative ones, and has impacted more people than any other technological innovation this century. And you know with me, everything is perception. You can choose to see the detriments or you can see the benefits. I choose to use the Internet for the powerful medium that it is.

Because I believe just about anything is possible with the Internet, I make the most of it. I use it to improve all areas of my life and those of my coaching clients.

Below, I’ve summarized 6 Ways the Internet can help you live smarter, happier, and better!

Get an Education.

This was the original intent of the Internet, to connect universities around the globe sharing knowledge. Now, the educational possibilities are endless. Many people get their news online reading newspapers, subscribing to news feeds, or reading news-oriented websites. Others can study just about anything that strikes their interest with online education, webinars, and sites like Wikipedia, the virtual dictionary/encyclopedia. And websites, articles, forums, and other sites dedicated to education are available on any subject you can imagine.

Be Entertained.

After education, I think entertainment in a wide variety of formats was the next major use of the Internet. Gamers from around the globe compete against each other in this virtual medium, and many regular Internet users have their favorite games or entertainment sites. I have coaching clients who tell me they have ongoing competitions with friends for the highest score in FreeCell, a popular card game. I’m sure I don’t even know all the various forms of entertainment available online, since that’s not my focus, but you can be sure, if you can imagine it, it’s available on the Internet.

Shop for What You Need.

With the emergence of eBay and Amazon, the Internet became the place to shop. I do believe there is nothing you cannot purchase online. Amazon is the world’s largest bookstore and has virtually made shopping at your mall bookshop obsolete. After all, you can find the book you’re looking for at the tap of your keyboard, rather than wandering aimlessly through rows and rows of bookshelves. (Of course, some of us still enjoy the tactile experience of picking up books and leafing through them!)

You can get almost any item you’re looking for on Amazon, who has partnered up with other merchants. On eBay, if you like the thrill of an auction, you can get new or used items at bargain prices by bidding against other shoppers. eBay has also become a successful outlet for those who want to clean out their garages and closets, since just about anyone can sell just about anything on eBay and other auction similar sites.

Do Your Research Homework.

This is one usage for which I praise the Internet. Here is one place where you can do research on just about any subject. Google, the king of search engines, is gold when it comes to research. Before the Internet, you had to sit for hours in the library searching for the right resources to find what you were looking for or spend countless hours making phone calls.

For example, you can research the best travel opportunities for airfares, hotels, rental houses, things to do when you get there, and more. You can research almost any subject for almost any purpose–writing a book, developing your website, making a career change, building a business, planning a diet, comparing financial opportunities, and so much more.

Build and Manage a Virtual Business.

You can start an online business or you can expand your offline business. Local businesses from chiropractors and dentists to global businesses like web designers and consultants all benefit from websites. They can provide a professional presence to display their expert status, and they can use their site as a lead generator.

Additionally, the explosion of Internet based businesses, those primarily selling both tangible and intangible products, has seen no equal in terms of new business growth. Selling information in the form of e-books, e-courses, audio files, teleclasses, and more has spawned the new “infopreneur,” an entrepreneur who sells information.

Meet and Connect With Great People.

The explosion of social media or social networking in the last few years is a cultural phenomenon. It began with MySpace, and exploded into an ever-expanding list of networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and for the more business-minded LinkedIn and Plaxo. Through the amazing reach of the Internet you can find old college roommates, connect with long-lost relatives, and make a lot of new friends.

Besides the social sites, there are message boards, chat rooms, and communities on Yahoo groups where people can communicate with those of like interests or like industries. And we can’t forget the communication phenomenon of e-mail, which connects anyone with everyone. New on the scene is Skype, where you can instant message or talk live for free to anyone anywhere. And my favorite social connector on the Internet is the blog, which is where you are most likely reading this article.

Can you think of anything that is not possible with the Internet? I can’t! The only limits are your imagination–and technology!

You’ve Got the Tools in Front of You… Now, Where to Start?

Personal Coaching can get you where you want to be in life!

From spot coaching to unlimited lifestyle design, there’s something here to fit your needs. Explore our coaching plans today, then get in touch to schedule your first talk with David Bohl.

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Down Economy Got You Way Down? It doesn’t have to!

Join me for a FR.EE teleseminar THIS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th, 2008 – 7:00 PM Central.

We all see what’s going on in the world.  It sure isn’t pretty.

The markets and economy are in the tank. Foreclosures, hiring freezes, salary cuts, and layoffs are a given.

We’re hunkered down in our bunkers waiting for the storm to blow over.  Is that the right approach?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Think about this:  When businesses feel the heat of the bad economy and decreasing sales, do they hunker down?  No!  They get very proactive.  They look for ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies.

AS INDIVIDUALS, WE SHOULD DO THE SAME THING.

• Take this time to engage in some self-assessment instead of using all your energy for self-preservation.

• Build some self-confidence, self-equity, and a foundation for your future – so that you can handle good times and bad.

Now is the best time to engage in a concentrated period of personal evaluation.

1.   Figure out where you are and where you want to go.
2.   Add things to your life that are important to you.
3.   Get rid of the things that just aren’t working anymore.

You don’t have to take it on the chin and allow the bad economy to control every aspect of your life.

Come out of the basement.  Take control.  Empower yourself!

Join me for a FR.EE teleseminar THIS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th, 2008 at 7:00 PM Central.

WEBCAST REPLAY NOW AVAILABLE – Sign up below.

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Technology can seem like your best friend or your worst enemy. The truth is that technology is always your friend–you just have to know how to manage it. By taking control of the technological tools available to you, you can streamline your life, effectively manage your time, and essentially get your life back. This article provides some of the technology tools you can use and the ways you can manage the technology in your life better.

All-in-one systems

There are several all-in-one technology systems to help to streamline and organize your life. For example, many cell phones now have multiple features such as calendars, contact systems, email, notes and more. Imagine all this functionality, packed into a little device that fits in your purse or pocket. The drawback of an all-in-one system is that if something happens to the device then all of your information goes with it, right? Not exactly. Sync this device with your computer and create an automatic backup file that will protect your precious data.

Taking it one step further, you can also sync this with your email system (Outlook, Yahoo!, Gmail, etc.). Most email systems have a calendar, notes section, and contact system, which creates an additional backup of all your information. This prevents you from having to double-enter information like email addresses and appointments, and provides anytime, anywhere access from any computer or mobile device.

Let’s use Mary as an all-in-one device user example…..

Mary is an advertising road warrior, traveling from client location to client location. Mary uses her iPhone as her all in one system. She takes photos of clients products for her records, keeps their contact information in her address book, takes notes using the handy notepad, and emails them to herself as needed. She also keeps track of her appointments thanks to the convenient calendar.

Every night when Mary gets home from her busy day, she simply places her iPhone on its cradle and hooks the USB to her computer. All of the information she has added to her iPhone for that day automatically updates on her computer. Mary uses Yahoo! as her email provider. When the iPhone finishes its sync with her computer, her computer automatically syncs with her Yahoo! In 1-2 minutes and one simple placement of the phone on the cradle, Mary has connected her phone information to her computer and her email provider.

Mary manages her technology instead of her technology managing her.

Voice-activated systems

We’ve all been there. We are driving in our car and a million thoughts race through our minds – all the things we have to attend to, and all of the urgent emails that impatiently await our reply. Unfortunately, unless you pull over every time one of these thoughts pops into your brain, then you have to wait until you get to your destination, which by then you have forgotten half of what you thought of while driving.

A voice activated all-in-one system, like Jott, is an easy way to manage everything you have to juggle in your daily life (and remember while driving or doing something else). It connects all of your technology for you, and all you have to do is speak what’s on your mind. This is especially helpful for the technologically challenged. Simply set up your Jott account at www.jott.com, call the Jott toll-free, tell Jott where you want your message to go (in your calendar, in an email to a friend, on your to-do list, or to a friend), and then wand your message. Voila–it’s done. Voice activation is a great, virtually hands-free way to manage all of your technology with the sound of your voice.

Be consistent–use it regularly

Whether it’s an all-in-one device, a voice activated system, or another piece of technology you use to manage your life, the key to managing it is to use regularly and consistently. Put your system in place and make it work in whatever way makes the most sense for you. The more you use, the better you will get to know it and the easier it will become to use.

Technology may interest you or it may frighten you. Either way, technology just keeps get better and better and learning how to use it now is sure to make your quality of life better and better, too.

Join the Discussion! Share with us your favorite technology gadget that has made life more livable for you.

Interested in steamlining more than just technology?

Check out The Happiness Trilogy from David Bohl – a 3-part “Lifestyle Redesign” kit that will put you on the inside track to success and personal fulfillment. Don’t miss the reduced price – self-coach your way to bigger and better things with The Happiness Trilogy.

Available for a limited time only. Learn more now!

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Here is a quick ABC primer on the basics of effective business networking to keep your networking strategy ready for action at any time:

A is for Act, as in Getting It Together. The very first step in business networking is to know what you want to achieve, why and how. Are you looking for clients, trying to expand your market, hoping to find a business partner or scouting for venture capital to launch your next great product? You can waste a lot of time and energy networking without a purpose. On the other hand, once you know the answers to these questions, you can tailor your activities to tightly target your needs and maximize results.

B is for Business Card. Your card is your portable business face; make sure it’s up to snuff. At the very least, it needs to have all of your pertinent contact information up-to-date and accurate. But in most cases it pays to go the extra step. Your card has two sides – why not use them? The back of your card is a great place to include samples, portfolio shots, charts, discount codes, service plan comparisons, etc. The key is stickiness – the longer your contact keeps your card, the better your chance of getting the call. If your card provides value beyond just acting as a carrier wave for contact info, they’ll hold onto it much longer.

[If you want to get really creative, one cool option is Moo Cards (www.moo.com). Moo cards are printed on very heavy art card stock and cut into a non-standard size, featuring graphic images on one side and text on the other. Their unusual shape, size and feel attract and hold attention. They're perfect for artists, photographers, architects, models - anyone, really, who can benefit from something a bit hipper and more visually interesting.]

C is for Cyberspace, as in Online Networking. Should your networking profile be up online? If so, where? While there are no universally right answers to those questions, there are a few things you can ask yourself to help clarify the issue. Are your clients likely to go online to research you and your company? Are prospective clients likely to be hanging out at online networking sites, or looking for you there? Is your field heavily represented in online networking sites? If so, then online networking is probably a good idea, because people will expect to find you there and may wonder why if they don’t find you. On the other hand, if you’re part of a conservative industry (banking or law, for example), online profiles might seem unprofessional at any but the most rigorously businesslike sites.

As for which site to set up shop on, the best option is to browse a few and get a feel for the population. MySpace is great for musicians and artists, while Facebook tends to attract the college-grad set. LinkedIn leans toward the white collar and corporate, while Ryze caters heavily to the self-employed. It’s all a matter of what you do and who your customers are. About.com has a whole page of articles on Online Networking (http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/onlinenetworking/Online_Business_Networking.htm). Check it out for more ideas and answers.

D is for Dating (In a Strictly Professional Sense, Of Course). Now that you’ve got your act together, you cards are ready to go and your online profile is up and running, it’s time to actually start meeting some people. The obvious choice is to attend a networking or other professional event such as a conference or workshop. But before you go, step back for a moment and remember what we said at the beginning of the article. If you’re trying to meet prospective customers, then you’ll want to be with a completely different group than if you’re looking for venture capital or trying to track down collaborative business partners. Being picky about where you network will save you a ton or time and effort. Oh, and one more thing – before you go, contact the host or hostess and ask them for a list of attendees. That way you can learn ahead of time who’s going to be there, and who you’re most interested in meeting.

E and F are for Effective Follow Up. There are actually 3 F’s in business networking. Follow up, Follow through and moving the relationship Forward. Without these actions, you’re just socializing. Follow up is the first step – at the earliest opportunity, you should follow up with everyone you exchanged cards or otherwise connected with. When doing so, don’t get carried away – be brief, on point and professional. Step two is to follow through – if you made a promise to send along an article or make an introduction, do it now (before you forget). Finally, move the relationship forward. Never leave one connection (email, lunch date, phone call, etc) without making plans for the next one (follow-up letter, another lunch, a phone call, etc.). Your goal is to become part of your connection’s schedule, not something extra to remember in addition to all the other stuff in their life.

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Look at Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, whose life has been turned upside down by the discovery of text messages he sent to a romantic partner (who just so happened not to be his wife). Or consider Arlington mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, “…who was voted out of office last month after she left unrestricted lingerie-clad images of herself up on her MySpace page,” according to New York Times writer Susan Dominus. (When asked why she posted such personal photos of herself on such a popular public website, she replied, “It’s my space,” indicating a naiveté regarding the internet that is at once quaint and frighteningly out of touch for someone in a public office.) (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21bigcity.html)

If there is one modern catchphrase that all of us should take to heart in this matter, it’s this: The internet is forever.

Unfortunately, that’s something that a lot of us – especially anyone over 20 – doesn’t quite internalize. That’s what happened to mayor Kilpatrick, who apparently thought that deleting his messages from his PDA was enough to erase them from digital reality altogether. The same goes for former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who simply failed to understand the ease with which his shady financial dealings (all of which are mediated via internet connections between the point of purchase, their accounting houses, financial institutions and any number of other places these days) could be traced, cross-referenced and exposed.

Today’s generation is at the most risk. It’s not unusual for teens and young adults to post pictures on their MySpace pages, YouTube videos or blog postings that show them passed out drunk, doing illegal drugs, engaging in questionable actions and so on. Many fail to realize the impact that these public displays of poor judgment will have on future employers, college admissions boards and even potential mates. And simply deleting or removing the images and posts provides no protection. Sites like the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/) (also known as the Wayback Machine) and search engines continually cache copies of older pages, preserving those embarrassing or incriminating images for posterity.

In a world of near-ubiquitous internet access, near-permanent digital content and near-complete archives of cyberspace history, the concept of digital hygiene is increasingly important.

Here are a few things to remember:

1. As I mentioned, the internet is forever. If you upload it, publish it, share it or post it, chances are it will be there until the last server falls. Deleting copies on your end gets you nowhere. A corollary to this rule is that if it can hurt you or embarrass you, count on someone finding it at the worst possible time. Rule of thumb: Never post anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother, your boss or your worst enemy to see.

2. Anyone can find anything. Given enough time, access and interest, a motivated searcher can find anything that is or ever has been publicly or legally available (and hackers can find everything else). Assume that anything – including email, text-messages, purchases, financial transactions, personal data, images and so on – is public, searchable and findable no matter how well you feel you’ve covered your tracks or how anonymous you think are.

3. Practice regular self-search. Google yourself and see what comes up. Go through the Internet Archive and see for yourself just how much of your previous cyber-life is still available for public search. Make a note to keep tabs on what’s available about you, and how you plan to address it if it comes up.

As a last resort, you can sometimes get damaging content removed from some search engines or databases. But don’t count on this to save your bacon if you’ve been naughty. You’ll never get every copy removed from every source. Your best course of action is to simply behave yourself and stop assuming that because you’re one of millions of internet users that you’ll somehow get lost in the crowd. The internet may be a busy place, but it’s also a very public, open place. And if you’re wandering around naked with a beer bong strapped to your head, someone’s going to notice.

Thanks to Working at Home on the Internet for including this article in the Working at Home Blog Carnival.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HARTLAND, WI, May 20, 2008–

David Bohl, owner of Slow Down FAST ( www.slowdownfast.com ) will present “How to have a more empowered life, making the choices that are in alignment with your heart’s desires, for greater life fulfillment and effectiveness!”‘ at Susan K. Wehrley’s Lakeview Center on Friday, May 23, 2008. The address is 161 West Wisconsin Ave. Pewaukee, 53072 and the cost to attend is $10 in advance or $15 at the door…

Click here to read the rest of this press release.

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