You are Amazing!

Earlier this week, I was surprised to see Seth Godin had provided a link within one of his blogs of his latest book reviews of The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly at Amazon.com. My review was displayed on the last page of reviews. It’s pretty cool to be considered an early adopter of tribe followers of his new book releases.

So thank you Seth for writing an amazing book and helping to make what I do relevant to others!

Less than 24 hours ago, I opened my email and thought “What is going on?” As my Grandfather use to say, “Lo’ and Behold” – I had 4 pages of Hotmail from members of bloggers.com addressed in my inbox. My first thoughts were perhaps my settings had somehow changed and I accidently opened myself to spam.

I went back to read the first email received and discovered I had been picked by the Editors and voters of Bloggers.com as 1 of 3 Editors Picks of the Day. Those four pages of email were people congratulating me, letting me know they voted, are following me, tweeted or wanting to friend me. I am overwhelmed.

 Earlier in the week, I was thinking it had been awhile since I have been chosen for “blogger of the week” or day within the forums I post. It’s funny, my seventh sense kicked in and I failed to recognize it.  

Wow, pretty unexpected and impressive out of thousands of bloggers throughout the world to have been chosen for this honor! It would be impossible to thank everyone, so I am hoping you (everyone) will accept this blog as my opportunity to truly thank all of you.

Your kind act of generosity is something I will never forget. The inspiration knowing what I do matters too many is all I can hope or ask for. You have touched my soul and confirmed my belief that one voice can reach a vast sea of people and make a difference. More importunately, having you with me on our journey inspires me to do- something meaningful that matters!

Thank you- from the bottom of my heart, you are amazing.

 I want to wish each and every one of you a successful journey with your dreams, writing, business and life!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

What the System Doesn't Want You to Know!

It’s funny when situations don’t get rubber stamped for the industrialized system. Those folks have wielded so much power by having their way for 4 generations. Everyone should understand their position of authority, need and circumstance. Few without representation bother to speak-out, stand-up or say “no."

The system has managed to exhort their influence through all of our lives by way of education, government, laws, culture, agencies, associations and committees. Industrialization became so powerful, everyone sold-out in order to placate the few and reap some profit. Unions were formed to improve labor conditions and balance the industrial agenda.

Eventually greed and power would be the crack in the system to seek even cheaper ways to make a widget. Mass production was built on cheap and affordable products available to nearly everyone, so production shifted overseas. Jobs were lost, factories closed, while organizations lost power. A system built upon holding the hostage of people, economic stability and governance weakened considerably.

This is what the system doesn’t want you to know. It doesn’t want you to have a voice, idea or opinion. It will tell you- it doesn’t matter, you don’t count and nobody is listening. It attempts to operate like it is 1958 and it owns and controls everything, including you.

The only card the industrialized corporations have in their arsenal is fear. The promises of owning a new home, a car or sending your kids to college is off the table. The chance of retiring comfortably is even questionable. We are now seeing wages and benefits diminish in the race to reach the bottom.

Our only option is to slowly sink, start our own business or perhaps create an entire movement based upon connecting with people.

As the system continues to flounder in its own excess of greed and power, people realize the loyalty, sweat, obedience and conformity is a waste of dignity, ideas, goals and dreams. The single most effective way to build a following is too stand-up for your own beliefs and rights. This is what the Industrial system fears the most. Rebellion signals the end of compliance.

The challenge isn’t to do what we’ve been doing better. The real challenge is to question where we’ve been and where we’re going. The only requirement is bravery; it’s far riskier to stay trapped as a cog. So, make a ruckus, follow your dreams and create a movement that inspires change.

 It’s only then; we can do something meaningful for people who care and do something for those that really matter!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Does your Idea Mesh?

 

How many times have you had one of those: “wish I would’ve thought about that idea" moments? Or the times you’ve thought about a new idea, never acted upon it, only to discover later someone else initiated the same thought and became highly successful. The failure to act, take a risk or perhaps our financial capital limits our capabilities to mesh with society.

I first heard of Zipcar in Lisa Gansky’s book entitled- The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing.

A  membership to Zipcar costs $25.00 for an application fee and $50.00 a year per membership. The car sharing service entitles members to rates of $7.50 per hour and includes gas, insurance and up to 180 miles per day. The idea of mesh connects people with ease of services and is popular among young adults.

The idea of using a car for a one-time chore, short trip or a month by using the Internet was a great idea for people who normally don’t own or need a vehicle on a regular basis. Why pay for an entire day of car rental? Why waste your time riding a cab or bus to stand in line at a car rental agency? The car is made available near your hotel or apartment.

  Image used courtesy of: Sharon Hahn Darlin

 

For those requiring transportation in large cities, Zipcar was an easily accessible, economical and efficient use of time and finances. It eliminates the financial burden of a lifetime of leasing, purchasing, insurance payments and repairs of vehicles. It’s a similar process as bicycle renting from a centralized location in many European countries. Two men from Boston started Zipcar and using GPS devices to gather data from the customers led to more offerings for their clientele and enhanced marketability.

Last week Zipcar was purchased by Avis for $491.2 million.

Image used courtesy of: poptech.

The idea of Zipcar is now being marketed by other car rental companies as well. Avis wanted to be competitive and jumped on the trend. I can’t help but think those two fellows from Boston probably had a ton of naysayers when they thought of the idea.

 It’s easy to assume an entire industry has already cornered the market or the idea would’ve already been implemented. The opportunity catered to a segment of the customer base being ignored by the corporate giants. Zipcar was the foresight of filling a need and by connecting with people; the idea spread and created a trend.

Traditional formats of existing business are undergoing change. Will you see the next trend by offering something simple, innovative and different or just wait for someone else to do it?

Opportunity to mesh with ideas is all around us-

if we choose to accept our destiny.

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Capitalism at its Finest?

Image used courtesy of: extranoise.

 

It’s amazing how organizations are so obsessed in using power, fear and control to manipulate and market themselves as a moral entity. 

Organizations use “spin” to market their agenda and often create more harmful results than good. Even more pitifully, the process is repeatedly used resulting in reduced customer satisfaction and trust. Is it any wonder business is suffering? Sadly, the alternative to repairing the mess is more advertisement, fluff and tighter control.

Greed is often the culprit in an Industrial Age environment. The thinking is: “If we build it they will come” or “People will forget the past.” Not true in today’s world. People remember remarkable, something special and we recall disasters.

The notion of a subservient class and superior rulers is a brainwashed idea of the Industrial Age. It is a hideous outdated form of manipulation based on fear, compliance and obedience. It was productive for 100 years because people bought into the idea. Seriously, what were we thinking?

Organizations with parochial run Boards and management are crumbling in the USA. In today’s new economy it’s about connecting. Connecting to everybody; including the 47%.

Everyone matters- has a voice and the means to use it. It’s no longer 1970 and a megaphone isn’t required to be heard. Technology and the capability of forming tribes of people bonded in common causes will tip the disruption from fear. Power of technology is shifting culture, economies, governments and your life.

We can either realize the “old regime” is dead or we can whistle towards a dark alley. The choice is yours. Many will stay the “We’ve always done it this way” course and disaster is imminent. The post-industrial age- isn’t built upon dividing and conquering; it’s about connecting!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Isn’t it Time We Pick Ourselves?



Image courtesy of:

Michael 1952.

When the teacher asked questions, most of the students raised their hands. The ambitious or popular students were usually chosen first to respond with the answer. This situation took place often, throughout the day. If you were selected and didn’t respond with the correct answer, good luck being picked again, anytime soon .

The subtle message was :

1.   You weren’t popular.

2.   The teacher didn’t trust your judgment.

3.   What you thought didn’t matter.

During the summer before a basketball game, it was common for the two most popular and gifted athletes to choose their teams from a select group. The decision to choose the most gifted athletes would be chosen first, usually followed by choosing the most popular or friends of the person doing the picking. Being one of the last two possible selections indicated you weren’t valued as much and if there was any hesitancy as who to choose it didn’t speak well for either of you. Being the last player selected meant you were “stuck” (no pick for you) on one of the team’s roster.

Being last meant:

1.   You weren’t very good.

2.   You weren’t very popular.

3.   You weren’t really wanted.

The same process appears throughout your career in lieu of promotions, positions, hiring and lay-offs. It’s all part of the same system of the Industrial Age. Instead of recognizing and nurturing individuals strength we follow the same rules rewarding the gifted, popular and our friends, while ignoring the rest. For 100 years, it was the only way to ensure fitting-in, compliance and conformity.

Not anymore.

Picking yourself is all that matters. Artists always pick themselves; they don’t wait for permission, acceptance or a christening. We always felt artists were strange, different or didn’t quite fit-in. Artists aren’t concerned with the status quo, survey results or a spreadsheet, their focus is strictly on their core mission .

It's no coincidence artists are the catalyst of change. The system refers to those people as inventors, however; they were artists first and foremost. Ford, Gates or Edison didn’t form a consensus group, become elected or chosen by anyone. Picasso, Tchaikovsky, Dylan and Symon picked themselves. Some said they were crazy and wasting their time, but their determination to succeed came from within.

 Art touches our lives, inspires movements and forges technology.

As we sit on the cusp of change in the post-industrial revolution- isn’t it time we pick ourselves?

 Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

You are Now Free!

Image courtesy of: Luz Adriana Villa A.

If your team is filled with people who work for the company, you’ll soon be defeated by tribes of people who work for a cause.

-          By Seth Godin from: The Icarus Deception: how high will you fly?

One of the favorite terms of the Industrial Age has been “teamwork.” The word is heavily touted when the slave drivers or gatekeepers want more work from less people or pitch an idea. Teamwork is a requirement on the football field, marching band and battlefield; but it never scaled well with the general workforce.

Ever notice when you are about to be laid-off “teamwork” is never mentioned? If they really believed in their own submission then why not just ask if someone wants to take an unemployment check for the good of the team. After all, we’re a team, right?

 Sadly, it is a word used only when management wants to spin the latest, greatest technique or philosophy. When I think of teamwork it reminds me of “slaves that paddled vessels from sea to land”, a mindless entity that must be given simple instructions to navigate. It also reminds me of the project that keeps being held-up because someone or one group didn’t finish their assignment at the deadline.

Teamwork is a label for mediocrity. Innovation or precision is rarely used to motivate by inept leaders. Failure is easier to swallow, when it’s a team effort or detraction. It’s good enough to use as a drill or exercise, but difficult to ensure has a means to excellence. That would require guts, courage and accountability.

 Few leaders understand the significance of those words and are less willing to take the chance at standing-out from the pack. That would truly mean risk and in a society captivated by fitting-in, not many care enough to stick their neck out. That’s probably why people don’t get too excited by teamwork.

I am happy to not apply for an advertisement that states: “We want team players only” or hear someone say: “I am not sure if you’re a good fit for the team” during an interview. What those expressions imply is the Industrial Age notion of fitting-in, compliancy, not rocking the boat and “do what we say.” You have no mind, soul, heart or the capabilities to stand-out, lead or discover a better way. It sends the message of being a cog and nothing more.

When everyone is committed towards the same outcome because they believe in something, have a vested interest in the idea and care; it’s a beautiful process. When people are told or given a manual to follow the plan it’s boring, repetitive and the results are less than stellar!

For more than 100 years, we believed ourselves to be at the mercy of a few who gave us the instructions, used us like pawns to generate power and financial success. The game is changing rapidly and opportunity awaits you. But you’ll never find it by staying in the Industrial Age.

Like the advert says: “You are now free to walk about the cabin.”

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

What's your Identity?

Saturday evening I arrived at a local restaurant to pick-up my food order and I heard my named called out. It was a couple (Jennifer and Jeff) that both were employed where I work during the day. Jennifer had moved onto a new job at a different company a few years ago and I hadn’t seen her lately.

Jennifer’s first question was- if I still worked at_______?

After I responded it hit me:

People associate your identity with what they know about you.

It made me realize- where I work isn’t what I wanted to be labeled as or known for. I want to be known as a writer, author, blogger, someone who cares and makes a difference. Apparently, I haven’t made a big enough impact.  



In August, I had the privilege of being invited to a private reunion party for a band (Souvenir) I followed heavily in Cleveland, Ohio between 1978 and 1980. The lead vocalist was gracious enough to introduce me to fellow writers and guests. When introducing me, I was referred as being a writer for The Cleveland Plain Dealer. I pulled him aside and explained I just write blogs in the online version of The Plain Dealer and was never employed by the company.

An honest mistake and I have to admit it gave me some instant credence. He stated: “Everyone knows your blog (which was very kind of him) anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” I knew he was trying to make me feel better about myself due to  some changes in my music career.George is one of the true genuine nice guys in the Cleveland music scene and it’s an honor to be a friend.



Decades ago, during my years of self-indulgence; I ran into a kid who shares the same name as me at a concert. When the other Jim Carver got in trouble, sometimes people would think it was me (hmmm.. I wonder why). We actually attended the same school. He elaborated at how much he wanted to be like me and how he saw me so many nights plastered on drink and drug.

To him, I was a hero. He made me realize something I never knew- I had been setting a horrible example of addiction and destruction for some younger folks. I wanted so bad to tell him-you don’t want to be like me, but I didn’t have the guts. I am hoping he found his way out of the old lifestyle.

Life is too short to live in someone else’s mind for the wrong reasons. It’s so easy to stay in your own comfort zone and never take a chance on being known for whom you are and what you do. It’s far easier to quietly open a door, instead of making an impact.

One of my goals is to do some things differently in 2013. I am at a crossroads with the direction of The Rust Belt Chronicles and where it goes from here. This year, I will do some things I have held back from doing in 2012, things that scared me.

Perhaps, it’s the push to leave a legacy where people will know what I do and why I do it or better yet; it’s my opportunity to link my identity with something meaningful that matters!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.