"A nation that produces nothing but advice and advisors will ultimately find itself without clients or an economy." - Douglas Castle

"A nation that produces nothing but advice and advisors will ultimately find itself without clients or an economy."- Douglas Castle

Twitter Destination Tags: #GICBC   #TNNW_BUZZWORKS   #IEP_VOICE            #BRAINTENANCE   #GETGLOBALEDGE   #douglascastle


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Bad Branding: Sarah Palin's Reversal on the Use of the "R" Word.

Dear Friends:

Sarah Palin has aspirations of becoming the next president of the United States, although she conducts her branding campaign with all of the finesse of tightrope walker with a middle ear infection (it's a "visual") and a rectal itch.

Firstly, as a sensitive mother and an advocate of special needs children, she seizes upon a wonderful press opportunity to "right a social wrong" (and I'm inclined to agree, in principal with ceasing this informal and highly derrogatory use of the word 'retarded,' just as I greatly prefer the term 'challenged' to the older term of 'handicapped' for many reasons)  demands Rahm Emanuel's firing from his staff position at the White House.

Secondly, when entertainer (using the term with a grin as I write it) and political commntator Rush Limbaugh uses the "R" word repeatedly, she drops down on him, showing conviction and something resembling consistency, strength and ideological integrity. It was, indeed, too good to last.

Thirdly, she ultimately winds up backpedaling to qualify (and excuse) Limbaugh's use of the offensive term. She is clearly demonstrating whorish ambivalence because she feels that her principles must take a back seat to her political aspirations -- she does not want to lose the voting power of Limbaugh's following, so she applied healing unguent on her potential offense to the notably delicate Rush Limbaugh.

Was this a good political move? Maybe, as the American public has a notoriously short memory and a macroscopically horizontal learning curve. But from a branding perspective, some of the worst things that you can do are to 1) appear inconsistent, 2) appear weak and subservient to the more powerful, 3) act in such a manner so as to cast doubt upon your integrity.

From a personal branding perspective, Sarah Palin took an opportunity to appeal to the sensitivities and hunger for integrity of the already-disillusioned US populace, and downgraded her brand from being a statesman and a champion of decency to being a mere, typical politician. Palin -- your best branding opportunity, your chance to define yourself as more than a simplistic, ambitious, attention-craving knucklehead in search of press coverage, book royalties and a fancy title, was scuttled. What a loss!

While I am certainly glad that you are not my client, I will not  rescind my invitation to let you become a member of the National Networker Companies GICBC. I think you could learn something. It's http://twitlik.com/IN . Perhaps you should have someone click on the link for you.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. An interesting interview from MSNBC follows. Just click on:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-sarah-palin-has-d_b_451927.html


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Capitalism Without Zero-Sum Conflict: A Re-alignment for a New Era

Capitalism Without Zero-Sum Conflict:
A Re-alignment for a New Era

Dear Friends:

I know, I know..... "oh what pride cometh before a fall."

Notwitstanding that cliche, I wanted to share the most recent [02.07.2010] Update Bulletin from The National Networker with you. Reading along, and through the self-promotion and back-patting, what I would like for you to notice the tone, the sentiment, the flavor (if you are in the U.K., Australia or any former U.K. "colonies," this would be "flavour") of the writing; importantly, it reflects an increased focus on several important notions:

1. Internationalism, and the World viewed as a large community;

2. Rendering of services to clients as well as information and intelligence to members;

3. The proliferation of information, via e-media, internationally -- across government-imposed barriers, cultures and the differences that we too often permit to divide us instead of unite us. This is indeed good news;

4. The next socio-economic entity...the GICBC -- the Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community;

5. The direct (and implicit) references to members becoming stakeholders. One of the conflicts that is a destroyer of the unqualified idea of capitalism (which, of itself holds great promise for innovation, progress and the breaking of the timeless stigma of the caste system) is that the interests of stakeholders (owners) all-too-often conflict with those of customers, and the general public...the tax-paying citizenry. What if you could re-align the interests of stakeholders so that they no longer conflicted with those of customers? What if the consumers' interests became more precisely aligned with those of the corporations'?

Communism? Socialism? - Neither! The world's simplest and best employee-ownership incentive plan does not defy or deny capitalism by a long shot. It just eliminates the zero-sum game that pollutes capitalism and destroys motivation. Capitalism does not require victims and victors. Its inherent synergy can provide more than adequate rewards for all parties involved. 

Enjoy what follows, with my compliments, and with my hopes.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
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Dear Friends:

This is the TNNWC Update Bulletin! for the first week of February, 2010. We have made incredible progress since our inception five years ago as the first "Consumer Reports" of the Networking Industry. The first subscribers to the TNNW Newsletter signed on because of their sharing Adam J. Kovitz' vision of the potential in networking, connecting and building Relationship Capital. Adam and his wife, Wendy, recruited our first writers, as well as our first readers and sponsors by themselves, as a labor of love. They published the first issue, and have overseen the publication of every single issue since.

Fast forward five years ... We are now The National Networker Companies, with:

• Two publications -- The National Networker Newsletter and The Blue Tuesday Report;
• A growing media machine -- with radio programs, news releases, special featured reports, multiple RSS feeds, Buzzworks, Blogworks and The National Newspicker Page -- we have the full complement of widgets, blidgets, buttons, feeds, with growing marketshare, higher visibility, both in the United States and internationally... we have been re-published in The Wall Street Journal [Europe], the BNI Newsletter [New Zealand] and in a tremendous number of e-media venues;
• The world's very first Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community (GICBC), destined to set a new socio-economic model for a world in need of some serious attitude adjustment;
• A Suite of the best, most unique and most useful (did we neglect to mention most cost-effective?) Professional and Business Development Services for all of our Members. Basic Membership is still free, as are our publications;
• Fabulous writers representing all types of vertical specialties from around the world... Alaska, Africa, China, France... we have a phenomenal crew of brilliant, edgy, opinionated and outspoken writers (but we don't mean to brag).

To say that we have made progress is an understatement.

Our mission has changed - The National Networker Companies, as a group, is a provider of news, intelligence, unique content and business development services to the professional, corporate and entrepreneurial sectors.

Our orientation has changed - Networking is only the beginning - TNNWC is not just about "networking" (which has become a vast term with multiple meanings to many people; where every person believes that he or she is an "***EXPERT***") -- we are all about increasing revenues and productivity by creating viable, real connections; building partnerships (domestically and globally); providing interactive forums; and furnishing services to increase your roster of clients, your buzz, your branding, your market presence (in existing and new, emerging and potential markets) and your sales by every means possible. We live to inform, assist, interact with and promote every member's business, practice or cause.

Our structure has changed - We are an information producer, cross-media broadcaster and a promotion mega-machine. We make things happen for our members, and for our clients.

We've got some things for you to look at, too - the items which follow have been posted, re-posted, tweeted, digged (dug?) and otherwise promulgated. Read them. Click on a few links. Then come back here. We're patient. We'll be waiting...

1. Before you fill that prescription... http://twitlik.com/DrugWatch. Through our Links 4 Life public service site, we have now formed a strategic alliance with Drugwatch.com. TNNWC is a major provider of Public Service Announcements in the interest of promoting exemplary corporate citizenship. Peace, Prosperity and Health.

2. Hot, highly buzzed TNNW themes and fresh ideas from BlogCatalog, a blog search engine. Visit them at http://twitlik.com/TNNWHeat . Our ideas about jumping the turnstiles of the status quo, being unique, being proactive and being collaborative are getting us attention. That's the point, isn't it?

3. TNNW is ever-grateful to Graham Southwell of BNI New Zealand, and Dr. Ivan Misner (the Founder of BNI and the father of organized business networking) for talking about the need for activism amidst apathy. http://twitlik.com/BNI . They are re-publishing some of our most exciting content.

4. We recently had an article about The Ten Essential Principles of Networking published in the Wall Street Journal (European Edition). It is a "must read!" at http://www.wsje-flp.com/articles.php/65/business-networking-ten-essential-principles. Going further, we are building a fabulous relationship with the international leaders of the future through our budding alliance with THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE FUTURE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.

5. The articles in this week's issue of The National Networker Newsletter... they're coming up.


Help us build the world's biggest subscriber list -- Forward this article (or this email) to a friend, colleague or business associate.


As always, thank you. You've let us become a part of your life. Through our GICBC (details unfolding rapidly), you will be able to become a stakeholder in The National Networker Companies. Our Growth Will Guarantee Yours.


With All of Our Best,


Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle





Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free, and get your BLUE TUESDAY REPORT, too. - Click HERE.
The National Networker Companies

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