I had great fun talking to my good friend Tom Evans, aka The Bookwright, last week.
The topic was his two latest books, Flavours of Thought and The Art & Science of Lightbulb Moments. Tom wanted to have quality video footage to help promote his books, and also to have the experience of being drawn out on his subjects. That’s something I love to do, and after so many years of having conversations with authors I’ve developed some expertise which gets really excellent results.
My vast experience of personal and business growth and development and the fact that I’ve interviewed hundreds of people have honed my abilities. One leading international multi-million seller employs me as his ‘primacy effect’ whenever he comes back from his lecturing and book promotion trips because it helps him centre and relocate after months away.
According to my interviewees, I’m an ‘agent provocateur’, a catalyst, a novel thinker and questioner who refreshingly reaches parts others do not – stimulating them into new areas of thought and ideas; it’s a brilliantly synergistic process that gets great results for all. For a long time our authors have been asking me to offer them special expert interviews to promote their new books, courses and events, so I’ve decided to oblige.
You can find out more by emailing me on interviews@resourcemagazine.co.uk or Skype MChristineMiller for an ‘Expert Interview’ factsheet.
“By far the best way an author can promote their work is through an interview …. but not any old interview. Both the questions asked and the manner in which they are asked and the interview is conducted is crucial to making you feel at ease and communicating your message.
I was doubly honoured last week not only to be interviewed by Christine Miller, Editor of ReSource Magazine, for both of my new books but also that, as a consummate professional, she had taken the time to read both my books so she could ask me just the right questions. I am thrilled too to hear she is now launching a service to interview authors in the Business Growth, Personal Development and Mind, Body, Spirit genres. Don’t take my word for how good it is – see the two interviews below …”
“I love what you did with my interview…. I’m happy to work with you any time.”
Jack Canfield, “America’s #1 Success Coach”, Founder & CEO, Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises
“I feel your interview of ALL I ever did (maybe in my life) really GOT IT–who I am and why. Since then when we had the interview (in a very magical way) we found a funder, a wonderful Swiss guy, a business genius.”
Dr Candace Pert, Neuroscientist, bestselling author of ‘Molecules of Emotion’, and ‘How to Feel Go(o)d’
‘It is the most beautiful thing anyone has written about me and I honor you forever for it. It will be a permanent part of my press kit.’
Dr Barbara de Angelis, author of fourteen best-selling books which have sold over eight million copies
“Your questions provoke many new thoughts and creative ideas, you are an ‘agent provocateur’, and in our interviews and conversations you are able to reach parts no-one else does.”
Tony Buzan, Multi-million bestselling author of over 90 books, speaker and inventor of Mind Maps
You can find out more by emailing Christine Miller at interviews@resourcemagazine.co.uk for an ‘Expert Interview’ factsheet.
Skype: MChristineMiller
Tony Buzan, Inventor of Mind Maps and author of 100 best-selling books
Chris Griffiths CEO of Think Buzan
We’ve used Mind Maps at ReSource since the very beginning – our first edition contained a hand drawn map of the contents, and Tony Buzan has been a regular contributor covering areas from business to creativity and poetry. In a brief preliminary interview for an upcoming ReSource feature, I asked Mind Maps® inventor Tony Buzan about his latest book, ‘Mind Maps for Business’, written with Chris Griffiths, recently appointed CEO of Think Buzan.
“Tony, what’s different about this book ‘Mind Maps for Business’? What differentiates it from ‘Mind Maps at Work’, for example?”
“There is a comprehensive difference – ‘Mind Maps at Work’ was a play on the word ‘work’ – it was a way of showing Mind Maps working, and how they are effective in people’s lives in a broad range of contexts, not just at work. It also served as an introductory text for people in any working situation, not only in business, which is completely different. In a way, it was a gentle preamble to Mind Maps for Business, and it certainly generated demand for the business book. People had read Mind Maps at Work, and other books, and this led to many requests for a book totally dedicated to the business world.
“The Mind Maps for Business Book has copious illustrations, there is full colour throughout, and there are inspiring stories and case studies gathered from around the world from major players using Mind Maps. Some examples are Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of de Beers diamond mines in South Africa, who describes Mind Maps as an ‘indispensable tool’, which he used to steer his senior management team during a time of refocusing to capture the essence of the organisation – where it had been and where it was heading.”
Mind Maps for Business
It’s true the book is packed with accounts of success in using Mind Maps for business from many different people. Stephen Lundin, author of the 5 million copy best selling FISH! says:
‘Mind Mapping uses the brain in the way it was designed, saves time, improves results and is fun. How can any business person be without this powerful tool?’
Masanori Kanda is known as one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Japan today. He was named the top marketer in the November issue of GQ Japan (2006) and speaking of the radical reorganisation of his company to respond to change, says: ‘Mind mapping can play a pivotal role in the process of developing a sustainable organisation that is adaptable to rapid changes today. With open and transparent cross-functional communications in all directions, the organisation grows to become more fair, resilient and effective.’
The introduction in 2006 of iMindMap, the Buzan technology for computer generated Mind Maps, developed in conjunction with Chris Griffiths, has also given rise to many more business applications. Major corporations, including Boeing, have used the methodology to envision and manage the multiple stages of complex projects from conception to delivery.
Says Mike Stanley, of the Boeing Corporation, USA:
“The use of Mind Mapping is an integral part of my Quality Improvement Project at Boeing. This has provided savings of over $10 million for my organisation.”
iMindMap Running a Meeting example
Now is the time when this book from Tony and Chris is most needed – we live in a fiercely competitive world, where global choice is greater than ever before, and customers and clients have broader options and market intelligence readily (and instantly!) available through the Internet. Agility in spotting trends, organising and managing multiple ideas and strategies, and smart implementation are key to success, something to which the use of Mind Maps is eminently well-suited. They can help you sell, negotiate, plan, brainstorm, manage – and do so more effectively, saving you time and money.
Several people I’ve interviewed recently for ReSource (including top US business coach Marshall Goldsmith and New York Times bestselling author and consultant Marcus Buckingham) have suggested that ‘we’re all entrepreneurs now’. One unexpected current example in the UK is within the public sector, in tertiary education, where funding cuts are changing the landscape dramatically. Situations are arising where employees, some of whom have been in their jobs for ten or fifteen years, are now obliged to re-apply for their existing posts – and are consequently required to ‘sell’ themselves again as the best possible candidate for the job. This requires the skill of knowing how to best position yourself, not something most public sector employees have previously had to consider. The ability to identify and promote your key assets, talents and expertise as benefits to your organisation thus become critical to successful job retention, and Mind Mapping can also assist with this.
In this age of the changing world of work, when everyone, whether employed or running their own business, needs to adopt a more intelligently entrepreneurial mindset, ‘Mind Maps for Business’ helps fill a need for ways to develop clarity of thinking and effective methods to manage complexity and diversity. Mind Maps have been proven to achieve this – over many years, across innumerable disciplines, and ‘Mind Maps for Business’ is an essential addition to the library of books we return to time and again for practical applications and guidance on being better in the business world – especially in the business of living productively and well.
You can get the book easily now at Amazon
Look out for a full article in the next edition of ReSource
Social Enterprise, sustainability, and triple bottom line business have been a major focus for ReSource over recent years; we believe that personal and business growth and development go hand in hand – and we’ve been inspired and motivated by Muhammud Yunus and his Grameen Bank example, an enterprise which won Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize; by Lord Andrew Mawson who has been described as ‘Britain’s Social Entrepreneur’ – his groundbreaking Bromley-by-Bow Centre in one of London’s most deprived areas has transformed many lives and been a beacon for better ways of creating cohesive communities; and dedicated people such as Carole Spiers, Ida Horner, Getrude Matshe, who give their time, resources and expertise to projects around the world aimed at helping people to help themselves.
I recently heard Kevin Spacey talk about his projects ‘Old Vic New Voices’ at the Old Vic Theatre to help less privileged young people develop and grow through theatre training workshops and experiences -he described it as ‘sending the lift back down’ to bring up those not yet in a position to fulfill their potential and use their gifts and talents fully. It’s true that these days many people want a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’ – and social businesses which offer an opportunity for gainful and worthy employment whilst creating social benefits are a proven way to achieve this.
Later today I’m attending a round table on ‘How to Change Lives with Good Business”, with Sally Reynolds of Social Firms UK giving a heads-up on her perspective as CEO of an organisation championing firms providing opportunities to find sustainable employment in the open labour market for severely disadvantaged people. My involvement with setting up our own humanitarian education and development organisation The ReSource Foundation as a social enterprise, and my recent partnership with a major network of Social Entrepreneurs makes this a highly relevant and topical event – I’ll be reporting with more information soon!
Here’s a brief video giving more information about Social Firms:
Tiger photographed on safari at Ranthambore, India
We at ReSource were thrilled to be able to visit India, and one of the highlights was our tour of Rajasthan: an amazing place of contrasts (like the whole of India!) where we were privileged to be able to go on a tiger safari. The entire three weeks we spent in India was a source of inspiration and joy – the sub continent has an uncanny ability to draw you out and encourage your personal growth!
Once we knew we were going to India in Autumn 2008, we started to look for the most enriching experiences there – and something that really stood out as a must-do, must-see was to go on a tiger safari.
These big cats seen in their natural environment held great fascination, and we found ourselves heading for Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, a protected area, one of the few places in India where tigers are still regularly seen, even in the daytime, and are breeding.
Formerly a hunting preserve for the Maharaja of Jaipur, Ranthambore covers an area of 392 sq. km. and is nestled between the Aravali and Vindhya mountain ranges. This deciduous forest was once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The rugged terrain, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools makes it a really romantic and picturesque place to be.
It seems we arrived at just the right time, and that we even had good ‘karma’, according to the locals, as we were able to see several tigers in the course of our three day safari. The excitement of being so close to these amazing creatures was almost indescribable, a real privilege – in fact, quite an emotional experience for all concerned, and something I would recommend wholeheartedly if you have the chance to visit.
teenage expression
“When I was 18 my father was completely ignorant, but by the time I was 25,
it was amazing how much he’d learnt.”
Too True!
BONUS TIP 6:
Laugh. Find some common ground in humour, satire, irony – maybe through a TV programme or film. It may make you throw your hands up in horror, but ‘The Simpsons’ has some prize moments of sheer comic dis-functionality in which most of us can see a little something of ourselves, if we’re really honest. After all it’s been around for 20 years and now has its own stamp collection…..
happy, confident teens
But dads (and mums) be warned – telling bad ‘dad jokes‘ (and it seems that all dad jokes are bad jokes, even if they’re good…..) creates embarrassed looks, groans of ‘Ohhh Daaad’, rolling eyes and shrugged shoulders – you have to decide if you want to experience that. On the other hand, if you don’t do generic ‘dad jokes’, maybe your teen will miss out on being able to share horror stories with their mates…..And sharing the experience is part of growing up.
As parents, that’s what we’re there for – silent witness, loud supporter, soft shoulder or sharp wit – you’ll need all of that and more along the way. Is it worth it? Completely - it’s one of life’s richest treasures.
For more resources and articles on personal growth and development, leadership, education, creativity and change visit www.resourcemagazine.co.uk
A new friend, Steve Earle, sent me a couple of his poems the other day, he’s a really interesting guy who I’m learning about and I appreciate his writing.
One of the poems, called ‘The Sea’ reminded me of a W.B. Yeats favourite ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’. Steve’s poem is about a soulful returning to what he knows, to peace and a kind of innocence, a theme shared with ‘Innisfree’.
It’s one of Yeats’ earlier poems and as such, the critics don’t rate it as a work of real literary merit, yet it is beloved of the public and it is widely known and read, memorable, and taught in school. Yeats himself acknowledged that his style changed significantly as he matured and developed as a poet, as you will see in the quote from his autobiography below.
I’ve cherished this poem since childhood and it often springs to mind – even sometimes the parodied versions we chanted – things like:
“I must arise and go now, and go to Innisfree
I left my shoes and socks there, underneath a tree…”
I can feel Yeats’ turning in his grave right now…!!
What is represents is a retreat into peace and calm, from the hustle and bustle of city life – a return to simplicity and the opportunity for reflection. Finding an inner sanctum in which we can take refuge and rebuild our strength is something of great importance in these times of global chaos and concern, and I invite you to enjoy the poem and the pictures here, and find your own Inner Innisfree.
Then visit my events page here and decide to come along and find out how to Flourish in Challenging Times, so you’ll always have your place of peace to keep you calm and confident of your ability to thrive – no matter what.
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
buzzing bee
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
Glimmering midnight water
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
The lake aglow
Nobel Prize winning Irish dramatist, author and poet
First published in ‘The National Observer’ 13th December 1890
Innisfree is in County Sligo in Ireland, and was a place where Yeats spent holidays with his family in his youth.
Yeats commented on “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” in a passage in his autobiography about his London days:
“I had still the ambition, formed in Sligo in my teens, of living in imitation of Thoreau on Innisfree, a little island in Lough Gill, and when walking through Fleet Street very homesick I heard a little tinkle of water and saw a fountain in a shop-window which balanced a little ball upon its jet, and began to remember lake water.
From the sudden remembrance came my poem “Innisfree,” my first lyric with anything in its rhythm of my own music. I had begun to loosen rhythm as an escape from rhetoric and from that emotion of the crowd that rhetoric brings, but I only understood vaguely and occasionally that I must for my special purpose use nothing but the common syntax. A couple of years later I could not have written that first line with its conventional archaism — “Arise and go” — nor the inversion of the last stanza.”
In conversation with my friend Tony Buzan who is currently in Singapore, it emerges that he is missing the English Spring with its flowers and freshness, and the variety that our climate here in the UK offers.
Much as the tropical weather of Singapore is enticing, and the delights of the Far East are unquestioned, we recalled times together when we had made a point of detouring for the sole purpose of seeing the daffodils in London’s St James’ Park, a somewhat ‘Wordsworthian’ experience… and he asked me if the bluebells were out now…..
Bluebells in April
That prompted me to take some photos of my garden whilst the said bluebells are indeed in bloom, along with Forget-me-Nots, and various other delights which are looking very fresh and delicious at present.
It’s so easy to get immersed in the less beautiful aspects of life, especially when you live in the city, to be overtaken by our daily activities and concerns, and forget to value and be grateful for the simple pleasure that comes from appreciating our environment and the inspiring moments that nature can offer.
For my travelling absent friend – some refreshing moments in an English garden…..and thank you for re-minding me to acknowledge Nature’s blessings …
'Potentilla' in full bloom
Above is one of my favourite corners of the garden….it used to be a ‘hide and seek’ game hot spot when the kids were little…..now it’s providing the same function for squirrels and this year a family of blackbirds, plus the usual robins and great tits, and even a thrush.
Bluebells, forget-me-nots, bergenia, euphorbia - Spring 2009
This sheltered patch amongst the flowers is my cat’s favourite hideout for bird spotting – she’s given up on trying to catch them…
Tree peony 2009
The tree peony gives a brief but stunning splash of colour, and produces an abundance of massive seed pods which not only feed the wildlife and but also offers a way for me to please friends who admire the plant with a gift of seedlings for their own gardens.
