MAKE YOUR HEART DANCE - BY YOKO ONO

When you are feeling bad

Do one thing a day
To make your heart dance.
It could be a simple thing like looking up at the sky.
If you can’t manage even that
Do something for someone
To make their heart dance
It could be a simple thing like giving a call.
Do this for a couple of months and
Your life will change in a big way
One day we’ll all dance together.

Alright?

I Love You,
yoko

MANIFEST YOUR POSITIVE FUTURE (FROM DAILY OM)

reprinted from daily om
Scorpio Daily Horoscope

Your plans may make you feel optimistic about the future today. Seeing your opportunities in a positive way might help you realize all of your aspirations. Perhaps you recognize that by thinking about the future in this way your thoughts could bring about the results you seek.

Creating positive affirmations could help you affect these changes. Every time you start to think about what will happen to you today, you might repeat a sentence to yourself such as “The future holds everything I want” to keep you in a hopeful and confident frame of mind. While these affirmations are not true catalysts for change, they can alter your perspective about the events that happen to you, which in turn may initiate your openness and willingness to take the risks you need to reach your goals.

Thinking positively about the future encourages us to put our mental energy into something that is promising and optimistic. When we feel that the future holds wonder for us we focus on what is going right in our lives at present. This feeling of contentment allows us to look at the things that occur in our lives—even things that might seem negative—as opportunities for growth. Viewing our lives as a series of possibilities means we see the future as an opening instead of something unknown and fearful. By putting yourself in a positive frame of mind today, the future will unfold for you in transformative ways.

SUMMER ORGANIZING

Are you a Busy Brooklyn Mom?

Would you like to live life with less clutter and more room for the people and projects you love?

If so, then this service is for you!!!!

This is the perfect service for the woman who wants to.......................

* Sit down to a clear desk top

* Fnd any paper document in 30 seconds or less

* Clear out the clutter to start a new business or project

* Open a closet door to find the clothes you feel good in and love to wear

* Experience more serenity and focus in your daily live

To chat with Eleanor about your organizing goals, call: 917-499-7395

Julie Markes, PS 321 parent /chidlren's book author/photographer has this to say about Inspired Organizing:

Eleanor is a wonderful organizer and has inspired me. She helped me make order out of my very cluttered workspace and gave me great advice on how to move forward with my photography business. I highly recommend her to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by clutter and needs to clear the decks.

PUT SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR LINE OF SIGHT

At my desk, I make sure to surround myself with things that give me a boost - photos and magazine images of what brings me joy, what inspires me. For example, on the wall that I face while on my computer, I have a newspaper article about Michelle Obama speaking to young people in the schools; a winning horse jockey who never made it past the 8th grade; Ellen DeGenerous surrounded by portraits people have done of her; Chris Rock as a teenager.

I also like to keep fresh flowers right by me. Right now, it's some sunflowers.

ATIBA EDWARDS: LEADING THE WAY IN THE NONPROFIT ARTS WORLD

How does someone with a full-time job also manage to run a nonprofit arts organization? F.O.K.U.S Co-Founder Atiba Edward's laid back, almost shy demeanor belies a man with unending energy for leading a "multicultural arts organization whose missions are to use the arts as a tool of empowerment and to create a diverse community using the arts as the common medium."

Part of Atiba's success lies in his ability to harness the energies of his dozen or so staff members (also unpaid) as well as well as other volunteers to "produce art events such as art shows, concerts, and film screenings and hold discussions related to these events and general points of interests as a means to increase the participation in and appreciation of the arts."

Here's what I learned about Atiba in my interview with him:

He started F.O.K.U.S - Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success - in the Summer of 2003 with one of his best friends, Alma, while they were both students at the University of Michigan. They had spoken about the self-defeating internal barriers which artists face and wanted to do something about those barriers before leaving college.

After graduating from college in 2006, Atiba brought F.O.K.U.S to New York and built their volunteer staff. They also brought their organization's magazine, INSIGHT, which features the art and writing of local artists.

F.O.K.U.S sponsors and organizes New York based events, including the annual "The Stoop" in Forte Green Park; the Family Day portion of the Hip Hop Festival; and a block party with City Year.

Atiba himself loves to write poetry, take photographs, play the piano, build computers, and ride his bike. He was Born in St. Vincent in the Caribbean and remembers hearing about his mother's participation in Carnival. Also, his dad was someone who loved making things with his hands. One year, he crafted a bar for the family's barbecue get together. The overall message Atiba got from his family was "Do what you can with what you have."

Atiba, who studied engineering, poetry, and musicology while at U of M, now works as a financial analyst. According to Edwards, the profession, combined with his studies, helps him see inefficiency with people, places, and things and to keep asking the questions that will get below the surface of a problem.

As the Co-Founder of F.O.K.U.S, Atiba's philosophy is to treat the organization as "one big learning pot" where staff and other volunteers have plenty of room to try things, and to make mistakes.

If you want to see Atiba and F.O.K.U.S in action come to The Stoop on August 8th at 1:00 in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park.

To make a donation to FOKUS, CLICK HERE.

CHECK OUT COLLEEN NEWVINE'S BLOG

Colleen Newvine has a seriously wonderful blog. It's called Newvine Growing - exploring evolution, revolution and living life intentionally. I told her in an email: "I like the combo of good information about personal and professional development, the way you are thoughtful without being fruity or crystal-waving. (Speaking of fruity, remember Jack Handy from Saturday Night Live? When you're in the right mood, it can be hilarious to read from his books.)"

Here's a recent post from Ms. Colleen; I know she welcomes comments.

On moving to BrooklynAs I write this, I am surrounded by cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and old newspapers. We are preparing for a move in about two weeks and living in chaos in the meantime.

Google "New York City map" and you're likely to get an image like this -- Manhattan, with perhaps the hint there there's something else.

We are leaving the city. Not New York. Just Manhattan.

For those of you not well-versed in New York geography, the city of New York is actually made up of five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. But informally, when someone refers to living in “the city,” what they usually mean is Manhattan.

Meanwhile, just across the East River is Brooklyn, which has about 2.5 million residents — about 1 million more than Manhattan. If it were its own city, Wikipedia says it would be the fourth biggest in the country. But since it doesn’t have Broadway shows, Central Park, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree or Ground Zero, you might assume “New York City” and “Manhattan” are interchangeable and not think of the most-populous borough.

When we moved to New York about three years ago, I felt strongly that if were were moving to New York, I would regret it if we never lived in Manhattan. Though many of my colleagues commute in from the suburbs, I was set on having the city experience.

That’s meant paying an astronomical amount of rent to live in an apartment smaller than where I lived my senior year of college.

Now three years in, we’re looking to make a change. It’s partially driven by finances, but it’s also motivated by a desire to have a different kind of New York experience.

There’s a sense that all the creatives have been priced out of Manhattan by years of booming real estate escalating both rents and purchase prices. Curious? Check out this search for three-bedroom rentals in Manhattan on Craigslist. A three-bedroom would hardly be considered indulgent in much of the country but here, if you learn that someone lives in that much space in Manhattan, you might ask in a whisper whether they got it under rent control in the ’70s or if they’re a trustifarian. It’s not uncommon for a decent one bedroom to go for $3,000 or so in Manhattan, and with bigger apartments more rare, they command premium prices.

Where have the creatives gone? Many of them are in Brooklyn, though now there’s talk that gentrification is pushing some of the pioneers out into Queens. But a story on NPR-affiliate WNYC a while back noted that for the second year in a row, Brooklyn had more winners in an arts grant program than Manhattan, which would seem to say that at least some artists are still there.

We feel that choosing a place to live isn’t just about square footage or the amenities inside the front door. Where you live determines much about your lifestyle. How long is your commute? What kinds of grocery stores and restaurants are nearby? Who are your neighbors? Do you socialize with people nearby or have to travel a long distance to spend time with people you like?

So while we were checking out new apartments, we were also shopping for neighborhoods and lifestyle. We want to unpack our boxes into an improved quality of life, not just a slightly bigger apartment with lower rent.

Have you chosen where you live intentionally? Does your neighborhood suit you well? How about your city or state? If not, would you consider leaving or are you held in place by family, friends or your job?

A BRAND NEW DAY (EVERYBODY REJOICE) FROM THE WIZ

One of my favorite parts of the movie version of The Wiz is when Evilene's sweatshop workers unzip themselves out of their cumbersome leather suits to reveal fantastic dancer's bodies in bright yellow outfits. They twirl and jump in a celebratory fashion along with Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion in an amazing number set to this song.The suits could represent anything we're happy to shed - outdated beliefs, internalized oppression, etc.

What a terrific number. The lyrics are by Luther Vandross.

Everybody look around
Cause there's a reason to rejoice you see
Everybody come out
And let's commence to singing joyfully
'Cause there's a reason to rejoice you see
Everybody come out
And let's commence to singing joyfully
Everybody look up
And feel the hope that we've been waiting for

Everybody's glad
Because our silent fear and dread is gone
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?

Everybody be glad
Because the sun is shining just for us
Everybody wake up
Into the morning into happiness

Hello world
It's like a different way of living now
And thank you world
We always knew that we'd be free somehow
In harmony
And show the world that we've got liberty

It's such a change
For us to live so independently
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?

Everybody be glad
Because the sun is shining just for us
Everybody wake up
Into the morning into happiness
Hello world
It's like a different way of living now
And thank you world
We always knew that we'd be free somehow
In harmony
And show the world that we've got liberty

It's such a change
For us to live so independently
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?
Can't you feel a brand new day?

HOW ABOUT TITHING TO CREATIVE TIMES?

Something I learned from Paula Langguth Ryan's book Giving Thanks: The Art of Tithing is that tithing is not limited to giving 10% of one's income to religious institutions. In fact, tithing stems from Jewish law, predates the Bible by centuries, and has been practiced in various forms by all different cultures!

Paula suggests that tithing is about giving to the places and people that inspire us. Ideally, the money is given out of a sense of thanksgiving, not charity.

She says: "Practicing the art of tithing allows you to give up the emotional struggle that surrounds financial issues. Tithing teaches you how to release your attachments to the abundance in your life. When you release your attachment to the prosperity that flows in and out of your life, you allow that abundance to glow more freely."

If this ad-free blog, Creative Times, has been a source of inspiration to you, consider tithing to it. The the spirit moves you to do so, you can click on the yellow "Donate" button below and to the right.

ON THE MARGINS OF CITIZENSHIP: A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ALLISON CAREY

One of my best friends from college, Allison Carey, worked tirelessly on her book, and in August it will be available to us through Temple University Press.

Temple University Press provides this blurb about Allison's book:

In On the Margins of Citizenship: Intellectual Disability and Civil Rights in 20^th Century America, Allison Carey examines historical controversies over rights for people with intellectual disabilities, including for example debates over sterilization, institutionalization, the right to marry, medical discrimination, and the death penalty, and shows how ideas about rights for this population have transformed over time.

And here are some of the endorsements for Allison's work:

“On the Margins of Citizenship is a remarkable book. It has a broad scope, impressively addressing the history of American twentieth century intellectual disability empirically at the individual, community, and policy level.” – Richard Scotch, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy, University of Texas at Dallas

“On the Margins of Citizenship makes an important contribution to the sociology and American history of intellectual disability. It draws together and analyzes the development of legal rights that affect people with this disability. I am especially impressed with Carey’s theoretical grounding. It is clear, succinct, and convincing. This is an excellent work that will prove to be important to scholars and activists interested in intellectual disability.” – James Trent, Professor of Sociology at Gordon College.

To order the book: CLICK HERE

TISCHINA ARNOLD IS IN THE WIZ!

Upon closer look at the subway stop billboard ad for the re-make of The Wiz, I was delighted to discover that Tichina Arnold (pictured right) is one of the stars. She'll be playing the villanous Evilene.

Tichina brilliantly plays Chris' mom in the Friday-night sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. The show is based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, who grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed-Stuy in the 80s.

You may also remember Tichina from the days when she played the character of Pamela on the television show Martin.

(Photo by Robert J. Saferstein)

TEN REASONS TO WATCH THE WIZ

* New York City is the backdrop

* Lion comes from the steps of the NYPL!

* Diana Ross' vocal talents and facial expressions

* "Ease On Down the Road"

* Michael Jackson as Scarecrow

* Lena Horne's as Glinda

* The dancing and singing in "Brand New Day"

* Richard Pryor as The Oz

*The scenes filmed at the Emerald City which included six hundred fifty dancers, three hundred eighty-five crew members and twelve hundred costumes.

^* The way Costume designer Tony Walton enlisted the help of high fashion designers in New York City for the Emerald City sequence, securing costumes and fabric from designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Norma Kamali

THE ART OF WATERCOLOR

I found this great card at Kisan Concept Store in SoHo. Kisan is also located in Iceland (!) When I mentioned to the sales clerk that Bjork is on the cover of Interview magazine, she said that that the owner of Kisan has some kind of indirect connection with the singer of Icelandic origins. (I'll confirm with the owner to find out what the connection is.)

The card, by Paper House Productions, is entitled Watercolors.On the back of the card, they explain that "The art of watercolor [...] has been in existence since the primitive hunter gatheres used water and pigment to depict scenes on the walls of caves."

COME HELP MY FRIEND ATIBA CELEBRATE ISSUE 2 OF HIS ARTS MAGAZINE

A few months back, Mike and I went to the launch party of our friend and F.O.K.U.S Founder Atiba Edward's art magazine. Hope to see a bunch of you there. Atiba, along with a huge crew of volunteers, runs an amazing grass-roots nonprofit arts organization. The energy of Atiba and his work is contagious and inspiring.

Join F.O.K.U.S. + Solefood NYC on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 4pm for the heART + SOLE art show and the celebration of the release of F.O.K.U.S.' INSIGHT Magazine Vol II Issue 2 at Solefood NYC's gallery in TriBeCa (38 Lispenard Street).

Works by legendary graffiti artists, STAN-ONE TSF and PRIZ TS5, will be on display at Solefood NYC. Both artists have been tagging since the 1970s, evolving from spraying trains to legally painting murals and canvases throughout New York City. Additionally, the contents from INSIGHT Volume II Issue 2 will be on display. The magazine features a special cover designed by See One; photography by Silvia Laserna; images from STAN-ONE TSF, PRIZ TS5 and REE-2 MTA and much more.

F.O.K.U.S. Presents: heART + SOLE: Art Show & INSIGHT Issue 2 Release Party
Where: Solefood NYC
38 Lispenard Street (btwn Church St. and Broadway)
New York, NY 10013

Cost: FREE

When: Saturday June 13, 2009
4pm - 7pm

Directions:

-You can take the 1; A, C, E; to Canal Street and walk South-East to Church St. Turn Right onto Church St and Left onto Lispenard St.
-You can take the N,Q,R, W; 6; or J,M,Z trains to Canal Street Station. Walk North-West on Canal to Broadway. Turn Left onto Broadway and Right onto Lispenard St.

About the Artists:
PRIZ started "solo-bombing" above ground in the late 70's as a novice street writer. While attending Public School on the Upper West side of Manhattan, PRIZ became heavily influenced by subway veterans like DEAN, JEAN-13, and BAD among other writers from Brandeis High School. By the 1980's, he was tagging subway train exterior panels and the IRT Broadway No. 1 line. Influenced by letter flow movement and arrow connections, PRIZ, describes his style as "old school."

STAN-ONE tagged and painted walls, subway cars and stations on the Broadway IRT No. 1 line in 1979. He was influenced by a group of older known writers from his Harlem neighborhood called The Spanish Five. When the first generation members of The Spanish Five graffiti crew aka TSF/TS5 retired from the subway graffiti scene, STAN-ONE was granted presidency of the crew by LEO, the crew's founding president. In the 1980's, STAN-ONE was instrumental in revitalizing the The Spanish Five and recruiting talented new blood above and below ground. By the 80's, he was President of TSF/TS5. STAN-ONE disappeared from the graffiti scene in the late 80's until Priz brought him out of retirement in 2001.

About Solefood NYC:
Solefood NYC is a restaurant themed, lifestyle drive, custom sneaker boutique and art gallery. Specializing in street wear, custom sneakers and custom apparel, this boutique gallery offers a one on one consultation between their clients and quality staff, which consists of sneaker customizers, a clothing designer and a stylist. Visit www.solefoodnyc.com for more information.

About F.O.K.U.S.
F.O.K.U.S. is a non-profit arts organization, whose mission is to use the arts to create a diverse community and as a tool of empowerment and highlight the enrichment the arts provide in our lives. F.O.K.U.S. has produced workshops, film screenings and have produced shows with artists such as John Legend, Kidz in the Hall, Janelle Monae, Saul Williams, Justin Bua, Michael Skolnik, Paola Mendoza, Gene Pendon and Slum Village; as well as headed up the Family Day at the annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. Visit www.onefokus.org for more information.

In the utopian future, art “would no longer refer exclusively to the specialists within the modern art world, but extend to the whole work of humanity.” - J. Beuys

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COME SEE CECILIA ANDRE'S ART AT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND THIS WEEKEND

CECILIA ANDRÉ

R E C E N T W O R K

Join me at FIGMENT

ARTS FESTIVAL

June 12,13 & 14 of 2009

Governor's Island, NYC

Ferries 10 am to 5 pm

www.govisland.com

arteny@msn.com

cell (917) 892 6705

To read more about Cecilia on my blog, CLICK HERE.

PROMOTING INSPIRATION (FROM DAILY OM)

This is a reprint from the website of Daily Om

Promoting Inspiration
Scorpio Daily Horoscope

Your own successes can inspire you to help others achieve a similar level of prosperity today. Though you may not know precisely how to ensure that the people around you can freely pursue the paths that have long intrigued them, you can nonetheless provide them with some of the tools they need to embark upon these journeys of achievement.

By offering sincere words of encouragement, praise, and support today, you may be able to motivate colleagues, friends, and family to revisit ambitions that they have previously deemed too challenging. You will likely be surprised to discover that your upbeat words give others the strength to believe that they are capable of making their dreams come true.

We can foster the spread of inspiration among those with whom we share our environment by first encouraging others to follow their dreams whenever an opportunity to do so arises and then supporting them in their efforts. Though the positive and optimistic thoughts we share may seem at first to have no effect on those individuals to whom we endeavor to offer motivation, our words can grow in significance as they are incubated in their minds and hearts.

The impact of even a simple compliment or kind word can prove intensely meaningful as most people thrive in an atmosphere in which they know their colleagues and peers believe in their abilities. The support and enthusiastic reception you offer others when they share their dreams today will ensure that you have done your part to encourage them to strive for greatness.

BE MY HERO: HOOK ME UP WITH A TICKET (OR TWO) TO THE 2009 TONY AWARDS

My dream-come-true would be to find one or two tickets to this Sunday's 2009 Tony Awards at the Radio City Music Hall.

Do you or anyone you know have extra tickets?

Call me at 917-499-7395 anytime between now and Sunday afternoon. (Ticket-holders have to be in their seats at 7; show starts at 8)

JOIN ME IN WATCHING YOUNG NDI DANCERS IN A TRIBUTE TO JOHN LENNON

2009 Event of the Year:

A Celebration of John Lennon

Directed by Ellen Weinstein

With guest stars Cloris Leachman
and George Englund, Jr.

Join 200 children of NDI’s Advanced Team for a joyous celebration in dance and music of the legendary John Lennon. This theatrical event weaves together vignettes of Lennon’s life with original, energetic choreography set to his masterful music. The young dancers, ages 9-15 present a moving portrait of Lennon’s enduring legacy, accompanied by the NDI Orchestra.

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Sat, June 20, 3pm & 6pm
Sun, June 21, 3pm
Mon, June 22, 6:30pm

LaGuardia High School Concert Hall
65th Street bet. Amsterdam & West End, NYC

Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

THE 2009 TONY AWARDS ARE THIS SUNDAY AT 8 PM

Watching the 2009 Tony Awards is a great way to support theatre, and catch up on what's been happening in theatre this past year.

And while you're at it, why not pick a musical or play to go see?

This year's Tony Award will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Presenters include:

Lucie Arnaz, Kate Burton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Edie Falco, Will Ferrell, Carrie Fisher, Jane Fonda, Hallie Foote, James Gandolfini, Lauren Graham, Colin Hanks, Marcia Gay Harden, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Lange, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Samantha Mathis, Audra McDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Hyde Pierce, Piper Perabo, Oliver Platt, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, John Stamos and Chandra Wilson.

"BETTER TOGETHER: BLOGGING AS A TOOL FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

I recently served as a panelist at the Brooklyn Small Business Summit. The topic of the panel was Search Engine Optimization and Social Media.

“Better Together: Blogging as a Tool for Building Community”

I have a little assignment that I’d like you to do right now. Please turn to a neighbor and introduce yourself. Share your name, the name of your business, and what brought you here today.

[Pause while folks in the audience talk to each other.]

Great! Welcome! I wanted to start that way for a reason. I want you to get to know each other as people - live and in the flesh. Technology is a great tool, but it’s relationships that connect us, not technology. Again - technology doesn’t connect us, relationships do.

So I was delighted when Alliah asked me to speak on the panel because it means I get to talk about something I am passionate about, which is using blogging as a tool for building relationships and building community.

When I first looked at the website for the summit, I saw that one of the themes is
sustainability. There is sustainability in terms of building your business in a way that respects the environment. There is another way to think about sustainability: what sustains us as entrepreneurs & small business owners, as people who create our own structures and paths? What keeps us excited and passionate about the work we do? What keeps us motivated to keep our work meaningful, relevant, and innovative in changing times?

Technology is certainly part of the answer, and it’s not the whole answer. Once again, technology doesn’t connect people, relationships do. So the question is, how do you use technology to build those relationships that are key to your success?

Blogging is one leg of social media and I have found it to be a powerful tool for building relationships with people and building community with people – the kind of relationships that sustain my work as an entrepreneur over the long haul.

How do you use a blog as a vehicle for building relationships? I write a blog called Creative Times. It’s a blog for artists and entrepreneurs. Part of my blog is about interviewing and spotlighting creative people in business and the arts. In that way, having a blog has been like having a passport to meeting and making relationships with people who have helped me move forward as an entrepreneur. Some of those people have become my clients. Some of them have become trusted advisors. Others have become collaborators with me in organizing major events. Those events have led to greater visibility and credibility for them and for me.

Here’s a specific example: About a year and a half ago, I did an in-person interview and write up of Pete Solomita who founded Little Buddy Biscuit Company, a premium quality baked goods company in Brooklyn. Because of the article I did about Pete on my blog, Pete became a client of mine and he contributed his services as a DJ to one of the events I organize called The Brooklyn Blogfest.

When Pete became my client, I had the pleasure of helping him start his own blog, Groovalicious in Brooklyn, which combines his love of cooking, music and social responsibility. Because of his blog, Pete now has a following of fans who share hispassions, and a community of readers and customers who can’t wait until Pete opens his bakery this year. So Pete himself has become an example of how blogging builds community.

Here’s another example of how blogging builds those important one-on-one relationships. I used my blog to profile one of my my favorite book authors, SARK. SARK is a best-selling author and very smart businesswoman with an internationational following who has written 15 books about creativity. Because I followed her career and kept profiling new books as they came out, SARK put a permanent link on her blog back to my blog. Her site has been a major source of traffic to mine.

So a Blog is s great way to make mutually-beneficial relationships with individuals.

The other powerful thing about blogging is that it is a tool for building your community, your team – this could mean a community of customers, clients, or collaborators. I personally think the most powerful and effective community you create is the one you build around whatever you are passionate about. Because the internet cannot provide leadership, only real people can do that. When you take on the role of leading and connecting with others who share your interests, you raise your visibility, you raise your credibility, just as importantly you create relationships that sustain you as a business owner for the long haul.

One way I used my blog to build community is by organizing the Brooklyn Blogade, which is a regular gathering of Brooklyn Bloggers. I recruit bloggers to host get togethers in all the neighborhoods of Brooklyn. I also am one of the main organizers for a larger annual gathering of Brooklyn Bloggers and readers called The Brooklyn Blogfest. I got to work closely with about a dozen other bloggers for five months on planning this huge event.

The outcome was great: this year, there were hundreds of people at the event – politicians, all kinds of journalists, businesspeople, authors, community leaders. We had a fun after party at an arts space in DUMBO.

The benefits for me as an entrepreneur were twofold: (1) I got to demonstrate my skills as a team-builder, a facilitator, a community-builder. (2) I got to make and deepen relationships with a group of people who have in turn helped coach and guide me in my life as an entrepreneur. Just last week, I pulled members of the Blogfest planning committee together to help me brainstorm some ways to move forward as an entrepreneur. Some of these are connections that I know I will have for life.

Here’s what I’m hoping you remember from these last few minutes:

1. To sustain ourselves as entrepreneurs, we need to build meaningful relationships. We need to create community for ourselves.

2. A blog is a terrific tool for building relationships, and building community in a way that will raise your visibility and credibility, in a way that will sustain your passion and vision in the work that you do.

You know the saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" The same goes for us as
entrepreneurs. We need each other to keep going, to keep being inspired.

DO BUSINESS FACE-TO-FACE WHEN POSSIBLE

One of my clients has been dealing with credit card fraud. After receiving a letter from the bank saying they wouldn't cover the fraudulent expenses, my client jumped on the phone with a representative and flew into a rage about the letter. Needless to say, it was a tense conversation and she finally hung up because she was so frustrated.

After she got off the phone, I said to my client "You should just go into your branch and speak to someone face-to-face. They will see you as a real person, a neighborhood person, a valued customer and you can have a real conversation."

My client took my advice and the in-person chat with a branch worker solved the problem.

With all the modern conveniences of the phone, Blackberries, iphone, email, etc. sometimes we forget that face-to-face interactions are often the most important because we see each other as full human beings. Also, 90% of human communication is non-verbal and missed when we rely on technology to get business done.

EVERY LITTLE STEP IS A WINNER

In a tiny print ad in the NY Times (now $2 to buy from the stand - holy schneikies!) I saw the words Every Little Step. Researching it, I found out it's a movie about the origins and reivival of the Broadway show A Chorus Line.

For lovers of dance, theater, and behind-the-scenes action, this is a must-see film.

Interesting fact: Michael Bennett interviewed 22 dancers over a 12-hr period in 1974. He and the show's writers used the transcripts as the basis for the show.

For a complete time line of A Chorus Line CLICK HERE.

After the movie was over, my friends and I walked to Restaurant Row and sat outside at a Thai restaurant. It had been months since I was part of the "real" NY nightlife. So much fun to be in the swirl of that late-night energy.

Photo from movietome