Group Coaching, as well as three new EA courses are on the slate for 2012, and I’ll be publishing news about them more frequently.  I’ve also purchased and am in the process of implementing a new automated system for keeping in better contact with those who are interested in my news, products and services.  I can hardly wait until that is all in place!

The Productivity Coaching Association (IAPC) is now technically defunct, as Dave Crenshaw has decided to pursue other initiatives.  I’ve spoken to other coaches that were part of the association, and all of us are still offering our services, just in a slightly different package.  More news to follow.

I’ve got a second book published now, as a co-author with Lisa Nichols, entitled “Unbreakable Spirit”.  I am now a Best Selling Author and the book launch event will be held in Winnipeg January 18th.  You might want to visit my fan page for more details.  Would love to see you there!

Why is this significant?  This has previously been marketed to individual businesses and now having a group event has made this available to groups outside of individual companies, and enables a group-thinking environment, as well as a more cost effective way to learn.

Take a look at the page that describes this event.  Want an extra 10 hours or more in your week?  Don’t wait!

Sharon Evans

Certified Productivity Coach, IAPC

International Association of Productivity Coaches Certified

If anyone thinks PDF is a simple format to use, you are right as long as you are taking the default version with MS Word.  It took my media company nearly two weeks to get this second one approved and then magically about five boxes of books arrived on my doorstep on Christmas eve.  Ok – so the beautiful silver earrings and the new three wood I received were awesome but, my gift came in these five boxes.

If you want more info on the book, check out the site for download of sample chapters, news and some video on the book.  You can purchase it there (your copy will be signed, delivered and all taxes in) or you can get it on Amazon, in Canada, The United States or in Britain.  I believe it’s available in Australia too.

As for this site – it’s been quiet but it hasn’t been because Firefli hasn’t been busy – the book has been consuming, along with juggling clients and a family.  There are more books on the way, but they’ll be exposed on my new personal blog – due out before the end of January.  Until then, the personal commentary by Sharon C. Evans, owner of Firefli will continue here.

Happy Architecting and a Happy New Year

Sharon

Some time ago I gave Martin Cash of the Winnipeg Free Press an interview at the Technology in the 21st Century Seminar day. For some reason, I can’t help but think he might have passed my name on to Sandy Klowak. I like Martin and read each piece he writes in the business section of the local paper.

Sandy called between the 2nd and 3rd hole and left a message wanting to know if I had any knowledge on webinars or teleseminars. I have been entrenched in the subject for several years so I thought “what the heck”, asked permission of my riding partner and called her back.

She was interested in whether or not I thought webinars were a trend and how they changed the office environment. Given that I probably listen to no less than 5 webinars and teleseminars a week, plus have turned much of my training in that direction, I thought I should tell her how the education world is being revolutionized by this technology. Many companies have slashed or eliminated their training budgets. The big Seminar business has been annihilated. Most have been replaced or supplemented with this technology.

If you’d like the see the entire article, it is here.

I’m happy now that I have blogs that I might to comment on the “not in Winnipeg” comment that was in this article a little further. I am sure there are many people that live in Winnipeg attend webinars and teleseminars. I am just not convinced that there are many others like me that are using it as a main vehicle in delivering educational services or as a marketing tool.

Main keynote speaker Nelly Yusupova and I sat down to dinner on the eve of the Tech in the 21st Century event. “Why do you think business women in technology are behind here in Winnipeg?” she asked. I told her it was exposure. Unless you have had experience in the Corporate world and had the need to add webinar technology to your business, it might be a foreign subject.

Small business owners have their heads down, trying to turn a profit. They might not know how this technology could catapult their marketing.

What webinars can do for you?

• Broadcast and share your expertise with your clients
• Save the broadcast for replay on your website  — more content
• Communicate with your suppliers, vendors and global resources to help you do business better together.

You don’t have to be a trainer, nor a techie to take advantage. What if you wanted to let your favorite suppliers about the benefits that you wish your products had more of, or needed improvement on?

Do you think they’d be happy to listen or see your replay when it comes time to considering how to better serve you?

What about the instance where you want your clients to know more about HOW you do business so they can better get to know and trust you? Would putting on a webinar or teleseminar give you that opportunity? Absolutely!

The web can be your voice and there are so many ways to explore and utilize that voice using technology. If you want more information on this subject or our services in this area, be sure to drop us a note or call us at 204-488-2819.

Sharon & Vishen at Engage Today Private Reception

I had hoped to post every day to bring you a taste of what I was lucky enough to experience at Engage Today 2010 in early June.  Here is another gold nugget brought to you from my lingering thoughts of Vishen Lakhiani, Mind Valley.

Vishen was a repeat speaker at Engage Today.  While he didn’t deliver another performance, like Bohemian Rapsody that has thrilled YouTube visitors, he did bring solid value in his “Taking Your Business from $100K to $10M in 5 years presentation.  My take aways were many.  His love for personal growth resonated with me, as well as his personal story about how he arrived at that passion.

Intense isn’t a strong enough word for Vishen.  He is very focused in his purpose, and in developing his “theory of awesomeness” at his company.  His biggest message is that one must be happy in the now while holding their vision of the future.  If you can’t have both of those together, success won’t happen.  He calls this “flow” and for those who may not get a handle on that term in his definitive terms, he means “mojo”.

If you aren’t growing, you are doing a disservice to the mission you were set out to fufill.   Other terms he coined were “Blisscipline” where he learned how to keep himself in bliss while he embodied practices in keeping his mind clean and on target to his goals. 

I’ve probably never listened to a more exciting speaker, and the energy he throws from the stage is worth a personal sighting to everyone serious about getting their business vision to reality.  My favorite part was where he shared his method for keeping his vision in his mind.  Many create vision boards, while he has a vision note book.  He has a method for tracking his current state vision statements as well as his gratitude log which keeps him balanced.

This past weekend, I traveled to Calgary yet again for Engage Today 2010.  I must admit – I was a little less than excited as from what I knew in advance, as there was a lower celebrity factor planned.  My excitement for these events builds when I have advance notice of the speaker line-up, the schedule for the event and the general theme.  I guess that’s just my personality type.  This event saves a lot of information until late in the game, so if you love surprises, this is your gig. 

When packing, I grabbed my brand new book by Mary Ellen Tribby, “Changing the Channel”, as well as Les Hewitt’s book “Power of Focus”.  I ramped up my excitement when I found out that author Michael Gerber, “The E Myth” was to be there.  I  must admit, working on my own book for the past sixteen months has accelerated my interest in meeting authors.  I have never been an autograph hound, but it’s those few precious moments when you get a chance to connect with them, and share a few thoughts that are so valuable.

I want to share my experience in witnessing a session with the great Les Hewitt.  His Power of Focus presentation awed me but did not surprise me, as his book is one of the valued treasures in my library. 

Author Les Hewitt with Sharon at Engage Today 2010 Private Reception

He helped us all take a good look at the three biggest focus points which produce the biggest results for us in our businesses, and then list as many as thirty items that we spend our time doing every day.  His message was simple – find a way to get others to do those low value activities and focus on the big three.  I was fortunate enough to get my copy signed, and Les was equally happy to see how dog-eared it had become.  We shared other conversation at an author’s reception Saturday night, and he agreed to cement my personal memory with this picture.

On meeting Mary Ellen Tribby, new business owner of www.workingmomsonly.com  I mentioned that I too was a “Mompreneur” and had shared that same stage at the Hyatt in Calgary in 2008, while toting my four month old son.  She mentioned that she had done the same while working at Agora Publishing, and that moms really understand the sacrifices and joy it would take to create a business and be a mom at the same time.

We had an authentic discussion in her “author’s corner” in the lobby behind the ballroom and I did not hesitate to join her newsletter.   Her speech was awesome and her action guide was jam packed with lessons for all that need to learn about the value of the copy in their marketing.  Any working mother, woman or marketer would immediately become her fan, if you did not already know her from days at Agora.

As a last mention for today, Michael Gerber shocked everyone in the room with his session.  It took at least fifteen minutes before we took our jaws off of the table and realized that he was to share something so profound.  At first it seemed that he had gone completely crazy!

His message was that if your dream for your business or in life has anything to do with you, you should SCRAP it.  The message was that it had to be for someone else in order to be successful.  This aligns with many of the most successful entrepreneurs today, who while creating unparalleled value for their clients, they became a hit.  He urged everyone to forget about what they’ve been trying to create in their businesses, and start with a blank sheet of paper and use it to create the business of their dreams by tying it to their own unique purpose.

Not quite as much star power, but the line up was absolutely incredible and even more valuable to the entrepreneur.  There was a distinct theme that was completely aligned with the speakers and their messages.  I have never attended a conference where I recalled as much or immediately took action with the information so fast.  That was their goal, and it was definitely a home run.

Firefli Announces our newest small business offering. 

Our clients ask for it, and now it’s your turn to get it.  Since Firefli’s inception, our focus has been technology with clarity and creating solutions that were as simple as possible, but a right fit to our client’s needs.

Lately, our small and medium size business clients have been asking a lot of the same questions, and now we’ve wrapped it all up and are ready to present it in a nice compact package.  Yes, you asked for that too.

“Tell me what I need to do to get out of this email hell”, said one client.
“Which social media tool should I focus on?  I don’t have time to spent all day on these sites.  Which ones will give me the most value?” they usually want to know.
“Which hosting company should I use, and how can I get them to install my web page?  Which website software should I use?”

So many questions, and now in four short hours, you can learn what you need to know without a techie to decode the jargon.  Join us June 23rd and see why this will be the most valuable morning you’ve spent on your business in 2010!

See our full page description for more details.

The full Firefli Media store will be soon be launched, providing a catalogue of all of our products in a variety of interest categories.  For a complete list of products and access, visit our media site.

Enterprise Architecture coaching services and IT Architecture Coaching Services are found at The Architect Coach.  Be sure to visit and take advantage of the complimentary consultation.

Enterprise Architecture education, IT Architecture education, Business Architecture training and Technical Architecture training can be found at The Architect Boot Camp.  Be sure to visit and gain access to lots of information, enterprise architecture articles and general IT Architecture information.

Whether you are looking for Enterprise Architecture coaching or IT Architect training brought to you by telephone and the web, or if you are looking for Enterprise Architecture training in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, you’ve found the right place.  You can also bring training services right to your own location, by contacting us.

Sir Richard Branson & Eben Pagan at Engage Today 2009

The interview of Sir Richard Branson by Eben was amazing.  The biggest takeaway?  Never look back.  Have Fun – Enjoy yourself in your business.  Virgin Unite is Richard’s huge charity initiative and was the primary beneficiary of monies raised at the conference.

Amongst the list of amazing speakers were the Dalai Lama (October 1st 2009 – a day I’ll never forget), Sir Richard Branson, Dr. Stephen Covey, Eben Pagan (Altitude, etc.),Vishen Lakhiani (Mind Valley), Sean Stephenson (Get off your Buts!), Alex Mandossian, Michael Drew, Rick Frishman, Mari Smith, Joe Polish, Garrett Gunderson (Killing Sacret Cows) , Bill Harris (Holosync, The Secret), Tony Hsieh (Zappo’s), Jim Kwik, Marci Shimoff, Lynne Twist, Carol Cone, Barbara De Angelis, and the great artist Wyland.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few people on this list – will have to keep reading through my notes.  Lots of mind mapping to do as the 1″ thick notebook I received was almost full after four days.

Who was the best speaker?  What a question that so many asked.  Who touched me the most might have been a better question.  Some of these speakers were so polished and gave AMAZING presentions.  Michael Drew gave a fascinating presentation titled “The Pendulum” which was an enlightening talk on the business cycles of civic and idealist cultures and their influence by music and alpha voices.

Vishen Lakhiani of Mind Valley and Tony Hsieh gave amazing presentations on the cultures of their companies and incredible enlightenment in the area of today’s youth teams and the power of awesomeness and customer services.

Sean Stephenson gave one of the most powerful and touching on the area of moving around the obstacles in life that hold people back.  I spent some time with Sean, and many of the other speakers and have to say that these people, especially Sean, are truly awesome and authentic.

Sean Stephenson & Sharon at Engage Today 2009

The purpose for my trip?  Looking for clarity and focus on the place I’d like to give back and I’m pretty close to having that figured out.  As I have been so busy with my head down and getting my book done, it was inspiring to meet all of these great authors and see what they’ve done with their lives as connected to charity and giving back.  There is so much to add, so will have to add that to a blog for another day.

Bryan Adams unplugged at the Listen Now event Calgary 2009

Had an amazing time at the concert after Dalai’s big day at the Saddledome.  I was pretty close (6th row I think) and  Bryan Adams and k.d. lang were fabulous at the Listen Now event.  It was such an intimate concert and the sound was just so clear.  Bryan and k.d. sang an encore duet that couldn’t have been more perfect for the event.  It was such an exhausting day, that I fizzled out after about an hour at the private reception held afterwards.

In the meantime – what’s going on with Firefli?  We’ve just launched Firefli Media and will soon have several more sites to add to the family.  Architect Boot Camp has undergone massive change, and it’s still not quite finished but getting closer.  The book is with the editor and sample chapters will soon be going out to esteemed reviewers for their comments.  The interior designer is booked and so publishing (putting ink to paper) will most likely take place in November.  Watch for the advance notifications if you want to get your copy early.

What else?  Boot Camp classes have primarily gone to on demand mode.  Public class calendars will resume in 2010, but watch for more exciting changes in this area for November.  Architect Coaching is still going strong, and the coaching forum is undergoing some changes – stay tuned!

Happy Architecting!

Sharon

I’m just saying that I am one that decided that my skills are **NOT** in figuring this stuff out, nor did my time allow me to get that done.  What it does mean is that there is a considerable delay, and release date is looking an awful more like November 2009.

The book site will be up shortly, with some sneak previews.  Here’s a tease – Zoom Factor is also the title of a chapter and the inspiration for writing the book in the first place.  I won’t give anything more away for now, just let anyone know that it’s going to take a little longer to have a much better product.

If you are looking for something more interesting to read, check out my latest architecture post or visit the Architecture Portal.

Happy Architecting!