This blog series is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things by following their dreams, then making them come true. Today’s article is about Adrian Lunsford, an ordinary man with a job, family and a dream in his heart to make a difference in a way only he can.

Q: 'tude vox Ro: Adrian, thank you for your work and being a guest on my Right-Action in Action blog interview series. Please tell us a about your self, career and family, before you started Teamball Investment.


A: Adrian Lunsford born 11-28-1970 in Panama. I have younger brother who lives in Iowa. I grew up in Lawton, OK where I attended Lawton High School and Played football for the 1987 State Champion Lawton High Wolverines. I graduated from High School in 1988. I earned an athletic scholarship for football to attend Iowa Wesleyan College. During my time at Iowa Wesleyan College I earned my Bachelor Degree in Business while raising a family and working 3 jobs. I was offered a chance to play Professional Football in the Arena Football League and earn my Master Degree at the same time so I took advantage of the opportunity and achieved both. The opportunity became so great that I ended up playing 11 years in AFL during that time I roomed and played with the most famous Arena star Kurt Warner. I played for the Milwaukee Mustangs, Iowa Barnstormers, Minnesota Fighting Pike, New Jersey Red Dogs, Carolina Cobras, Nashville Kats, Dallas Desperados, Colorado Crush, and Detroit Fury.

Q: What inspired you to create www.Teamball.net?


A: The inspiration for TEAMBALL INVESTMENTS LLC. began when I was playing in the Arena Football League and we would have speaking engagements at local schools. I realized that I liked being around athletes not just football players so I came up with the concept TEAMBALL INVESTMENTS. TEAMBALL INVESTMENTS is an acronym for Together Each Athlete Must BALL. The Investments part of the company is the time that the athletes must invest to be a team. Someone is saying well what about individual sports there is no team, well I beg to differ. Each person has a small team of 3 called Me, Myself, and I. If you can not get these three athletes on the same page you will not have a TEAMBALL INVESTMENT.

Q: Why do you think music is important in your conditioning program?

A: I think music is important in BDOC! our conditioning program which is an acronym for Bow Down or Compete!

1. Music soothes the soul.
2. Everyone listens to some type of music.
3. Music trains the athlete how to concentrate while there is background noise.
4. Music trains the athlete how to tune out unwanted noise (Game day crowds).
5. Music trains the athlete how to get into a rhythm (The ZONE).
6. Music breakups the monotony of just conditioning (wind sprints).
7. Music can be heard by over 4 Million athletes on their iPod/Mp3 players.
8. Music allows the athlete to hear the song in their head which will allow them to train both mentally and physically without a coach being present.

Q: What are your dreams for future of www.Teamball.net?

A: The future of www.teamball.net is to continue to stay on the cutting edge of technology in sports. We want people to be the first to use our product not to be the first that heard it was a great product.

Q: What are some of your plans to get you there?

A: Our plans to get us there is marketing, marketing, marketing.

Q: Tell us about some of the programs you currently have available and how people can get your programs.


A:

1. BDOC $9.99! The 52 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “CODE” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $9.99 and you will have 52 weeks of BDOC conditioning program.

2. BDOC $4.99! The 12 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “PASS” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $4.99 and you will have 12 weeks of BDOC conditioning program.

3. BDOC $3.99! The 8 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “ALL” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $3.99 and you will have 8 weeks of BDOC conditioning program.

4. BDOC $2.99! The 4 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “AP” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $2.99 and you will have 4 weeks of BDOC conditioning program.


5. BDOC $1.99! The 2 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “HIT” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $1.99 and you will have 2 weeks of BDOC conditioning program.

6. BDOC $.99! The 1 week iPod/iPhone/G1/Mp3 conditioning program that improves your Speed Power Endurance Everyday Dedication. For Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer athletes for all ages and gender. This product can be purchased by text message. Text the word “CELL” to 44536 you will receive an access code go to www.teamball.net and enter the access code for $.99 and you will have 1 week of BDOC conditioning program.

7. Youth Camps that Teamball will perform in your community. Contact us @ www.teamball.net

8. Individual 1 on 1 sport specific training. Contact us @ www.teamball.net

9. Team Training sport specific. Contact us @ www.teamball.net

10. Athletic recruiting tool.

Q: How is your life different, now that you are running your business?

A: My life has not changed since I now run my own business. The reason I say this is because when I worked for someone I always treated my job like it was my own little personal business. Treating their business like it was mine is what made me know that I could give the same effort, dedication and time to run my very own business.



Thank you for your work. I think you are right on the money, using music to motivate and inspire your clients and am glad you are following your dream. I wish you much success!

Fact: It is an employer's market and the system is imperfect. All of us, recruiters, job seekers, hiring managers, small businesses and people who still have jobs are part of the system. Every day people comprise the majority stake holders at any major corporation. The few major shareholders employ every day people to engage activities that affect other every day people.

The middle class has unknowingly been at war with existing power structures for as long as there has been a middle class. When industry needed labor, it encouraged people to become dependent on selling labor in return for food, shelter and medical care. For many years, the United States demonstrated the ideals of Capitalism, becoming an industrial and a technological leader.

Every-day people established labor unions to set fair labor standards. The middle class began to enjoy ‘free time’, buying toys and contraptions to occupy this discretionary time. Consumerism was born. Throughout the invasion of Japanese cars, the introduction of Pac Man, Disco, Heavy Metal and Hip-Hop Music, middle class Americans maintained an illusion of expansion. Credit was available to anyone that ‘could fog a mirror’. When overtime was cut, we financed this lifestyle on credit cards ...until the elite took a major withdrawal of middle class wealth from the financial markets in October of 2008 and credit dried up.

Although ‘Globalization’ has been confused with greedy redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the elite, the idea is to tap locally abundant natural resources and make them available for the good of the entire planet. For example, the mid-western American states can efficiently grow food. If the global system worked for the good of all, farmers would not be paid by the government to refrain from growing food. They would not destroy ‘excess crop’. What can be considered ‘excess crop’ when there are millions of starving people, some in shadow towns like Detroit?

Globalization was promoted as the wave of the future, as agents of the elite manipulated legislation to enabled giant corporations to reduce the American labor force. American plants closed to reopen in countries with abusive labor protection laws and minimal environmental protection. Corporations market themselves as saviors, raising the living standard and bringing hope to developing nations. At first glance, it looks like a good thing, to improve lives in impoverished countries. However, raising the standard of living in one country by lowering another, results in zero net benefit; or worse.

Especially because so many American people can not find living wages, now is the time to come together and demand Industry be held accountable for greed, deception and fraud, government execute the public agenda and to empower ourselves against the abuses causing this economic meltdown. Individual power is limited. The current social systems serve to divide and conquer every-day people into socially contrived ‘Us’ vs. ‘Them’ camps, limiting cooperation and therefore, perceived power to affect change. In other words, it is in the best interest of wealthy players to maintain status quo and the best way to do that is to convince everyone else that there is nothing they can do about it.

When every-day people experience injustice, 99.99% of the time, the injustice is perpetrated by another every day person working in fear, hoping to maintain a means to buy food, shelter and medicine. One person may be a collection agent and the other a laid off auto worker, but they are both one, in a sea of masses, playing adversarial roles within the fabricated social structure, designed to benefit the obscenely rich; 2% of the people who own 98% of all wealth. It is in the interest of Big-Business to manage a fear-based society, by withholding life-sustaining necessities and to foster a divisive social structure.

It is a scary time. It is important to acknowledge fears, strengthen personal and professional networks and change the way we think about employment. Employment is selling time in return for the privilege of life, also referred to as ‘Wage-Slavery’. Big-Business wants us to feel desperate, telling us we have no choice. Don’t believe it.

Every day people can negotiate, learn to value their own time and talents and refuse to participate in systemic corruption. That means recognizing that every business exploits human and natural resources to profit. Exploit means to earn more dollars from the resource than it costs. This is reasonable and in fact, necessary in any sort of Capitalistic or trade-based society. In order for it to work for the good of everyone, employees must earn enough money to live a balanced life.

Refusal to participate in systemic corruption applies to personal decisions about minimum standards for employment. Employees often think of the Corporation as the only player setting standards, failing to accept responsibility for their own choices. When every day people feel squeezed to accept unreasonable terms, they are in victim consciousness; desperation. To reclaim personal power, answer the question ‘Do you work to live or live to work? Unless people are passionate about work, they work to live. Life requires sufficient income and time off to enjoy life. Refrain from making employment decisions that do not provide for the means to enjoy life.

Refuse full time work that will not provide for a reasonable life style, demands 60+ hours a week with no additional compensation or requires 38 hours a week under ‘part time’ status (no benefits). Working full time for less than enough to survive increases stress levels by adding a lousy job to continued financial challenges. It also reduces time for job searches, family and pursuing passions that may provide for long term financial stability.

Part-time work can be better than no work. It might lead to full time or facilitate finding better work. However, specifically because employers do not pay benefits to part time employees, part-time employees have added costs - vacation pay, sick pay, health care... For example, if reasonable income for full-time work is 40k, an appropriate part-time income might be: 40k + 2 weeks paid time off, 10 sick days, $500 a month for health insurance, divided by 2 for a 20 hour/week job. Accepting work for less than is fair and reasonable fulfills Corporate Interests of reducing just about everyone’s standard of living.

Practically no one is paid to stop corruption and fraud. The only reasonably way to fight against corruption is to refuse to participate and take action to correct injustice. If that means earning less money than through unscrupulous and ruthless means, so be it. Every decision every person makes in every-day activities contributes to the problem or the solution.

If actions are taken out of fear, they contribute to the problem. If they are taken out of love, they contribute to the solution. Fear-based actions include standard ‘fight-or-flight’ responses as well as subtle actions; with well thought rationale, having roots in unconscious programming. Actions based in love include standard and subtle implications too. Although ‘love’ has many meanings, for the purpose of this discussion, it refers to unconditional love often associated with spirituality.

For example, many people pursue professions based on the model ‘find out what they are buying and sell it to them’. It is a perfectly rational model until the intentional manipulation of consumers is factored in and we realize people will buy what ever enough advertising, marketing, promotion and lobbying yield convinces them they need, and that it will change based on the agenda of businesses with the most money.

I propose and live by a different model that says ‘If you have a passion within your heart, there is someone that needs you to express it’. That means hobbies can become a primary source of income. Let the magnitude of that sink in. While it is not always a means to address an immediate need, there is always a way to make a living doing what we love. Love-based decisions move us toward what we want, whereas fear-based decisions move us away from what we don’t want. Because love expands and fear contracts, we become more than we were when acting out of love and less of our true selves in fear.

Rational factors, such as consumer demand, competitors, barriers to entry, expected return on investment and investment recuperation period are all important considerations. They are measurable, coming in all sorts of charts, graphs with any number of text-book theories. Unfortunately, information is often intentionally manipulated, like recent global-warming statistics, rendering it deceptive. At best, rational factors demonstrate historical results from measured indicators. Rationale can not verify proper weight given to intuition, predict synchronicity or rectify thousands of years mass-programming that work is not supposed to be fun. With the current speed of intellectual progress, history can not predict the magnitude of human potential for an unprecedented consciousness evolution of every day people.

Regardless of man’s ability to measure, every action we take matters, regardless of apparent results. These seemingly insignificant actions form a collective of other right-action and it makes a difference. One voice is drowned out by the loud clanks of a machine called status quo. But a chorus of voices persistently singing harmoniously to a new song can draw a crowd. When a crowd gets big enough, the fields of injustice are trampled, making room for a new crop. Society needs to plant new seeds.

Make your voice heard by contacting those claiming to be ‘public servants’ with views, opinions, concerns and demands. Here is a link to facilitate contact: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. Speak or write with authority. Government works for the people, even if the system is compromised. Call the White House switch board at 202-456-1414 and leave a passionate message to the President.

Research concerns. Read about history not found in school books. Write letters to editors, news stations; comment on articles and in blogs. Join causes that match your beliefs. Refrain from subscribing to ‘group think’; also know as ‘herd mentality’. Network with like minds. Build vocational relationships. Sharpen critical thinking skills. Ask tough questions. Refuse to accept lame excuses and unnecessarily complicated explanations. If you don’t understand, know it is intentionally planned. Ask again. Confront abusers directly, with compassion. Stand up for your rights and follow your dreams, no matter how futile it feels.

Don’t entrust your fate to unemployment predictions or your livelihood on the whim of an employer. Use employment as a means to your ends and do something you enjoy as you develop your hobby into a career. Negotiate fair terms and give employers a little more than agreed. Think about the affect your actions have on other every day people at work, in social groups and in your personal decisions. Be loyal first to yourself, knowing with certainty fair employment provides for a balanced life.

Acknowledge fear and its derivatives doubt, anxiety and confusion without judgment. Fear in its most basic state is a natural signal that action is required. Don’t ignore or cover it up. Discover it. Personal introspection, development and acting on faith leads to empowered, right-action. But the road to survival in the 21st Century job market isn’t straight. In addition to the curves of a normal scenic route, expect U-turns due to construction.

In order to survive the 21st Century job market, every day people need to do extraordinary things. It begins with a personal inventory of skills and talents. Knowing ones self and personal passion is an on-going project. Anything within a person’s soul demanding expression is something others require. Packaging and marketing takes time, effort and defiant persistence.

Go back to school, follow your passion and stop trusting big business. Stop trusting government. Stop thinking you are informed because you watch the Corporate-owned news. Stop believing you can't do anything to improve your life. Take your unemployment as an opportunity to open your own business, go to school or become socially active.

This is a ‘make-or-break moment’ in human history. The ‘powers that be’ have been and want to continue to be in control. If the middle class hadn’t taken such a blow with the market crash, wage reductions and unemployment, after decades of wealth-reduction, the elite would have had a better chance to slowly bleed the masses to death without anyone noticing. So let’s make this time the proverbial ‘rope’ by which systemic greed and deception ‘hangs it’. Learn to recognize this period of uncertainty as a wake-up call, when every day people do extraordinary things, have confidence in yourself and fulfill your dreams.

As it was, corporations hid behind supposedly grass-roots organizations to manipulate the minds of every day people. Now, corporations can come out of the shadows and directly finance campaigns, pouring dollars from 401k common stock holders, preferred stock holders and use dollars generated by exploiting low-level employees toward the interests of the (elite) controlling owners. The pool of money, directed at the demands of a few, is an attack against individual rights, giving the middle class virtually no say in governance.

Super-human status for corporate entities, granted by Supreme Court ruling under the guise of Free Speech will virtually eliminate competition.  Read all about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100121/ts_csm/275190_1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/supreme-court-rolls-back_n_431227.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/01/reactions-to-the-supreme-court.html?hpid=topnews

Yesterday's ruling was the final nail in the coffin for the poor excuse we HAD for "representative government".

Capitalistic principles require free competition. Big business colludes to form unnatural monopolies for the accelerated wealth of majority share holders, eliminating competition. These unnatural monopolies have conspired to fund legislation and legislators to allow unfair trade, eliminate individual negotiation ability, reduce wages (while cost of living increases), secure outsourced, near slave-labor, reduce quality of products and services and confiscate middle class wealth. “In 1998, … the top 5 percent had more wealth than the remaining 95 percent of the population, collectively….The U.S. is atypical in that inequality has risen so sharply over the last 25 or 30 years.”

Small business owners are particularly vulnerable to attack. They do not have the economies of scale, negotiation power or the dollars to purchase the souls of government officials. Remember the old days when you went to a hardware store, purchased tools and equipment that would out live you - and received instructions on how to best complete your home project? Well most of those businesses went under, so Lowes and Home Depot could make arrangements with well-known manufacturers to produce cheap products that break easily and perform poorly. Remember the days of specialty shops, owned by the lady that let you in the fitting room? Clothes were made of good-quality material with professional-grade construction. Now, you can buy a sweater for $10 that will fall apart in months rather than decades.

Small business owners do not have the financial resources to buy the souls of our elected officials, pay for their ads (we can hardly pay for our own), organize campaign functions, etc. We are working 18/7 just to scrape by. Now that dollars replace the need for political candidates to generate individual support, how much sincere attention to our agenda will small business & individuals be able to purchase?

Competition requires full access to accurate information so that every-day people can make purchase decisions based on the quality of products and services as well as the social responsibility of the provider. But corporate owned media limits "free speech" to those that can buy it. Corporate attorneys and tax advisers manipulate the flow of information to paint a facade to hide the greed, deception, fraud and violent crimes they commit.

Now, producers of quality products and valuable services go out of business because every day people are earning less and less money, buying cheaper and dangerous products. Many individuals that thrive do so by perpetuating the corporate agenda, at the expense of human compassion. Keith Obermann of MSNBC had a few choice words for his listeners: http://www.olbermannwatch.com/. But will we listen? Or will we ignore the “liberal” idea of individual liberty.

It is my opinion that in a land of, for and by the PEOPLE, conglomerations of people do not get the human right of free speech – or anything else – because entities should not (but are) protected by the constitution amendments (paid for by corporations). The people in the organizations can exercise their right to free speech, using their own discretionary income, ability to influence and … any critical thinking skills they may still possess to participate in governance.

If you agree to any degree, do something about it. Here’s a petition you can sign: http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4&tag=redirect. You can call and write your “representative government” officials, write in blogs, comment on articles, Tweet about it and discuss this with family, friends and associates.

Last year I wrote a song called "Fiat Greed".  Listen FREE 24/7 on Downloads.  The lyrics are below:

Since long before modern times, racketeers cause fear to thrive.
Then they print dollars ‘till they succeed taking control, stealing your soul: call it Fiat greed.

Chorus:

Now we see through the veil of illusion, discovering conspiracy,
we can cut through the web of collusion. Right-action will set us free.

Verse 2:

Expansion plans, won’t suffice - with the trees and breeze the price.
Central Bank owners claim every deed, hope we forget we lose the bet loving Fiat greed.

Chorus:

Spoken Interlude
“"By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens... The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law - on the side of destruction"

Verse 3:

The system was designed to fail. But with a plan we can prevail.
Everyday people hope to succeed. Empower yourself. Reclaim your wealth. Stop the Fiat greed.

Chorus:

Age discrimination against anyone over 40 is ILLEGAL! There are exceptions, based on job requirements, but for the most part, the Constitution protects older workers from discrimination.

The Journal of Law & Economics published a study called "State Age Protection Laws and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act by Joanna Lahey of Texas A&M University that says "These findings suggest that in an anti‐age‐discrimination environment, firms seek to avoid litigation through means not intended by the legislation—by not employing older workers in the first place."

'tude vox Ro says any requests for birth dates, graduation dates and casual conversation about children/grandchildren, class songs or anything about events from school days are means to screen based on age.  Don't play that game. When faced with computerized applications mandating these fields be populated, including Social Security numbers, enter a clearly inaccurate response that will not disclose an approximation of your age. Example, soc # on applications: 123-45-6789. Year born: 1900 or 2000. If you make it through the screening and they ask about your response, confidently say it is irrelevant to the screening process & that you will provide the information upon written offer (then watch them squirm).

Employers have a weapon against legal action called ADEA waivers that are voluntary. Don't sign them.  Read more here.

Here are sources to read the actual legislation:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/29/usc_sec_29_00000621----000-.html
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/adea.cfm

Here's where you can FILE A CHARGE:
http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge.cfm

Here is HR information about multiple laws to stop age discrimination and some exceptions - like Independent Contractors:
http://www.hrhero.com/topics/adea.html

Here are some good tips to avoid discrimination: http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/agediscrim
http://blogs.bnet.com/intercom/?p=3217
http://www.examiner.com/x-3928-Resumes-Examiner~y2009m11d28-Avoid-age-discrimination-with-an-ageless-resume

Did you know:

"...under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), it is the EMPLOYER'S BURDEN to affirmatively prove that any statistical disparate impact against older workers is actually the result of a "reasonable factor" not tied to age." (my caps)?

With that said, consider your qualifications and the jobs for which you are applying when deciding how to present your credentials. If you are highly experienced and/or educated, looking for work that matches your skills, the employer may NEED someone who is older. How can a 35 year old have 20 years experience & advanced degrees?  On the flip side, if you are over 40, looking for lower level jobs, by all means hide your age.

Whatever you do, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Stress of unpaid bills, a shrinking middle class, threat of foreclosure, etc. makes you look older. Be confident - or fake it. Follow up but don't chase the job. If you appear desperate, they will roll you over and abuse your private parts till you bleed (most likely, figuratively).

I'm not a HR professional, lawyer or recruiter (obviously). I'm a MBA with >15 years professional experience (I'm not telling how many over 15 years) and Recording Artist with ZERO tolerance for deceptive, systemic injustice - and I know how to use internet search engines.

Unless every-day people do what ever is in their power to challenge injustice, it will prevail until elite powers own all of the resources in the world.  For more information, listen to "Incite Social Evolution" and "Fiat Greed" FREE 24/7 @ SassyAlternativeMusic.com/Downloads .

I have many years of sales and marketing experience, developing long-term professional relationships through face-to-face interaction. In my former life, I developed a reputation for excellence through word of mouth advertising. My business was local. My clients were neighbors & friends. Then came the internet, disseminating volumes of information globally.

So like many of us, confused and overwhelmed by the learning curve, I resisted using the internet. Then I started making music. Reluctantly, I joined the 21st Century in 2006, setting up web pages on selective Indie music sites to showcase my songs. I meandered into uncharted territory, establishing SassyAlternativeMusic.com. Woo-hoo! I did it. Now how do I get people over to the site?

Then I met Jim Sutton on LinkedIn in April, 2009. He is unique in his sincere willingness to provide direct support to the people and causes in which he believes. Fortunately for me, Jim takes action to co-create his life and the world around him, finding my brand of music to be consistent with his philosophy. Although I’m far from a social-media networking expert, Jim has taken me under his wing and guides me though the maze of technique and etiquette required for successful marketing.


‘tude vox Ro: Jim, in a world of rampant greed and self-interest, you are extraordinary. What motivates you to help others succeed?

Jim:  I firmly believe in giving forward and it will come back: You Reap What you Sow. This idea pops up all over. See every religion for examples. Pat Weber had Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver, as a speaker on Blitztime.com in November of this year. She posted a series ( http://prostrategies.com/wordpress/2009/11/go-giver-thanksgiving-with-gratitude/ ) of 5 blog posts summarizing the key points of the Go-Giver attitude. You can visit the Go-giver book site at http://www.thegogiver.com/ The Go-Giver is a great summary of the idea.

Throughout history (and currently) there has been a group of individuals focused on themselves (greedy) and another group who are other-focused (saints). Between these extremes live the rest of us. Why use anothers' self-centeredness as an excuse to not help others?

I think there are a lot of good people all around us. Just look. I watch TV and read news feeds and they highlight the one in 10,000 who does something evil and unethical in a big way and they go on and on and on and on about it. I move through my day and see the other 9,999 good people (not perfect, but not evil), so I don't watch much TV. I see people helping each other, sharing and caring. Now, they are not perfect and have bad days just like you and I, but 99% are good and do good work and good deeds.

Napoleon Hill, the first modern self-help writer and speaker, pointed out that the Golden Rule is the key to success. What I do is as simple as: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

A key to why I feel comfortable with this approach is that, like Einstein, I believe this is a kind universe and that people are generally good, although not perfect. I am not perfect, so why hold you and others to that standard.

When we look at others as if they are walking crime bombs, we cannot attract cooperation from them easily. If you see the good in them it attracts more good and enhances cooperation. Much of the key to this approach is to realize that we are not perfect, are a work-in-progress, and so are others. If you assume positive intent, cooperation is much more likely than assuming others are greedy and out to get you.


‘tude vox Ro:  What drew your interest to social networking? How has it helped you?

Jim:   Job Search. In 2006 I realized I needed to network. It was pretty apparent the power generation station I worked at was in danger of shutting down with layoffs to follow and I knew I needed to get ready. I set a networking goal, and it was pretty much a failure for a while... quite a while. I was on a 18 month assignment and as it slowed down last November I really started working on Linkedin.com and figured out how to use it. I discovered Blitztime.com. Then I moved to Twitter. Networking has opened up amazing opportunity and development opportunities for me. I have met so many people through my networking I don't know where to start. Writers, bloggers, my current partners, school mates, chess players, performance consultants, and the list goes on and on. Every current project, except college teaching, is a direct result of my networking and all within the the last 14 months.


‘tude vox Ro:  What are your favorite networking sites and why? (Please include links where people can connect to you)

Jim:  Blitztime.com is first because it features one-on-one conversations. In a 5 minute conversation you can learn so much more than simply reading a Linkedin profile. Blitztime.com is a subscription service and well worth it to meet other professionals.

Linkedin.com is next and my flagship networking area. LinkedIn's Questions and Answers are a great place to learn about anything you are interested in and meet others who are also. Groups are also a good place to gain information and connections and with 250,000 there is something for everyone.

Innovative, fast paced, informal: Twitter is the one I have the most fun with. I am eating my words on this one. I called Twitter stupid, impractical and pretty much useless. There is a big lesson here about being open minded and not judging too quickly. I did not have the proper tools to use Twitter effectively. Give me a big DUH on that one.

Facebook is currently not part of my professional networking. I send my tweets to Facebook and they spark comments from my family and friends and we stay in touch chatting back and forth.


‘tude vox Ro: How did you get into the positive mental attitude arena? What are the results to your life? (do you offer coaching services? If so, where do people go to find out more?)

Jim:  I have been interested in personal development since my teens and the first exposure I remember was an Earl Nightingale record my parents had. A vinyl disk and needle setup: physical contact/ non-digital. You can find them in antique stores and museums now.

I purchased a Success Motivation Institute distributorship in the late 1980s and failed to make a profit and that was a great learning opportunity.

Results of my studies? More peaceful moments and fewer stressful moments.


‘tude vox Ro: Why did you start writing? What do you write about? (please self-promote)

Jim:  I am currently writing about, Learning, virtual worlds and Web 2.0.

I wanted to write since I was a teen and I went in the Navy, started a family (and am still trying to finish it... no one tells you how to do that part) and got distracted. I went to school online one class at a time from 1996 until 2006 to complete my BA and a masters in Training and Performance Improvement. Now that I am finished with that project and job change is complete for now, I am researching and writing about, learning, the digital age and virtual worlds.


‘tude vox Ro: What are your hopes and dreams for your future?

Jim:    Vision: A Smile on the 21st Century.
            Mission: Facilitating understanding in the digital age
           Passion: Learning and Performance Improvement /Dad/Freelance Writer.

My hope is to live in the moment and if others do this also, that will be a good thing. My good friend said it well: Happiness is created by me, not given to me.-Bonnie Gortler Another way to say this may be: World peace is created by individuals, not given to them by governments. We become what we think about is echoed over and over in self-help programs and religions: think/be peaceful for a smile on the 21st century.

I cannot say it better than Gandhi, so I will use his words:
"My life is my message." ~Mahatma Gandhi
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Jim Sutton

JimSutton@gotlearning.com
*My Social Networking Manager: http://xeesm.com/JimSutton
*Second Life: "Jeff Oatsmill" http://slurl.com/secondlife/imagiLEARNING/24/6/21/


Thank you Jim.  I appreciate your help personally and appreciate that you are taking an active role in co-creating the world in which we live. 

Society uses the term "love" to mean many things. We love romantic partners, parents, siblings, children and friends. But we also love baseball and movie stars, Twitter and i-phones, pizza and beer. Love is the subject of poems, songs, movies and theatre but do we really know what love is?

Religions say God is Love; a close personal love that is so intimate, nothing can be hidden. Divine Love is accepting, forgiving, understanding and compassionate. Religions also teach that Almighty God, who loves unconditionally, will punish sinners and that we are all sinners.
The Catholic Church withholds Communion or in extreme cases, excommunicates disobedient members; controlling the soul's destiny in this life and the next.

I could never understand why we have "free will" that if exercised, can cause eternal damnation...It is no wonder we live in a world of fear. People learn to condition love on adherence to a set of expectations. If conditions are not met, love is withdrawn. This tainted love manifests through a complicated web of control called "co-dependent love".

In the mid 1970's, I spent a week at a commune called "Cornucopia" in a workshop based on the book "The Handbook to Higher Consciousness" by Ken Keyes Jr. .  My class mates, all older than I, processed decades of programming about being "good enough" to deserve love. We learned self-love was the ultimate pre-requisite to sharing unconditional love. It was at that workshop I learned we all have fears and insecurities that when hidden, keep us from sharing love openly and genuinely. Many people at the workshop dissolved a life of prejudice and misperception in a flood of emotional release . . . then received abundant, unconditional love and acceptance. The sense of belonging and euphoria was life-changing.

Everyone needs and deserves love. Love frees us from being what we think we should, to be who we really are; individual expressions of divinity.

With no end in sight to the rampant unemployment, more and more Americans find themselves out of work, out of savings and out of time, with little hope for gainful employment anytime soon. Internet job searches, recruiters and professional networking websites intended to facilitate global employment matches have become a whirlwind of activity that yields withered fruit. Job fairs, computerized application processes, screening interviews and unpaid training periods keep job seekers running in circles without relief. Franchises, Multi-level marketing programs and distributorship opportunities replace salaried employment postings, offering no security and often including an initial investment.

As Unemployment Insurance extensions expire and bills pile up, many people are faced with difficult decisions and few options. Terena Meador is one of those people backed up against a wall by an unprecedented blow to American workers, but instead of caving in to the mountain of desperation, she chose to create her own solution by pursuing her passion and doing what she loves. 

‘tude vox Ro: Tell us about your career and what happened to cause your lay off.

Terena: In Feb. 2009, I was laid off from my Finance Manger Position due to our declining economy. Unfortunately, businesses had to cut back on expenses to keep their business viable. Why? Because people couldn’t afford to spend additional money due to the inflation on all necessary items (Groceries, Gas, Utilities, etc.). Unfortunately, these cutbacks did not have anything to do with loyalty to the company, time on the job or seniority. They were simply based on “who they could keep that would work for less wages, experienced or not, and be able to maintain their business until the economy changed”. Layoffs put a lot of experienced individuals out of work, with only a small window of landing the same salary elsewhere. This is the issue I experienced. Each job I applied for required more and more with less wages.

‘tude vox Ro: After you got laid off, what did you do to look for conventional work and what were your results?

Terena: From Feb. until August (6 months), I stayed on the computer everyday, all day, submitting resumes and networking with very little response. The interviews I had in that period of time were with people like me, expecting to get the job based on work history, work ethics, loyalty etc. There were those with very little experience, with none of the above qualifications that were willing to accept the position for less money. Companies did and are hiring people with less experience and requiring higher educational credentials.

Note: Education does not always override those with experience. Does this help their business? Well, being a person in finance, yes. In the short term these companies are saving money by hiring people and paying less salary. Hopefully, these people will know what to do to make the company a profit . . . Will they? Probably not. Experience says it all. These companies who trying to save money will loose money and go through many employees before they realize, it is more profitable to pay the higher salary to have the right person on board, with both the education and the experience. This is what makes company or breaks a company.

‘tude vox Ro: What made you decide to start your own business?

Terena: After six months of sitting at the computer networking and submitting resumes, like everyone else in my same circumstance, I decided “I want to do something different. I want to expand to other opportunities. I will make it because I can!” http://www.bikertogs.blogspot.com/

At this point, I decided to start my own website with idea of selling products at a low price. I believed that an online web merchant would aid in this process if I sold products they would make money, too! What was the reality of my new venture? Don’t be fooled! This company received their money up front for the site and the wholesale options. Support? What is that? For another fee, they could help more. NO! This is when I talked to a good friend of mine in Alabama that builds websites and also does hosting.

August 13th we launched Bikertogs.com. By November 19, 2009, we have had over 22,000 hits with no S.E.O. marketing or advertising. We wanted to have the site 100% before we spent the extra money. We are close to having a fully featured website with more being added daily. I know we have accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

‘tude vox Ro: How did you know what to do to start your business?

Terena: Starting a business comes from the heart and soul to make it work. Nothing is ever easy and simple. There is a saying, “Life is what you make of it! “Make it bad, it will be bad. Make it good, it will be good!’ I am a firm believer that a positive attitude, determination and continuous effort put forth in any business will make it prosper. The important thing to remember is that it DOES NOT happen overnight. So, patience and determination is definitely a virtue in any business or career. Most importantly, everyone is not going to say “Yes, I love your company and/or product” . It takes a lot of “NO’s” to get the “Yes’s” that make a difference in a company’s bottom line.

‘tude vox Ro: What products do you sell on your website?

Terena: Our website focuses on custom made products and music “Made by Bikers for Biker and their Friends” & “Made in the USA“. Due to the economy, many Americans buy what they can afford by comparing brands, sizes, etc. What they do not realize is that they are buying products mostly coming from overseas countries. With this being said, my question is …Why are people losing their jobs in the USA? Where is most of the USA money going? Does anyone actually know? Better yet, are we, as individuals in the United States, doing something about it? Are we supporting USA made products to create more jobs in the USA?

‘tude vox Ro: Why did you decide to sell Biker supplies?

Terena: I always enjoyed riding a motorcycle and the freedom you feel for that brief ride. The best way I can explain that is “Stress Relief”. Everyone has their own way of dealing with stress. For me, getting on the bike, no worries, letting the fresh air brush my face, letting go of all my thoughts and worries for a short period of time, is indeed stress relief. I soon learned to respect the whole “Biker community” because they are all a family. Biker’s support each other. They support families in need, our military, charities, USA products, and each other as a family.

At this time, ok, I had been out of work for six months….I chose to do something different. My site is about “Bikers helping Bikers” and “Supporting Products Made in the USA”. I am proud of our site and what we have accomplished in a short period of time and “This is only the beginning!”

‘tude vox Ro: How do you feel when you are working on your business?

Terena: Working on my own business gives me a sense of self worth that can’t be explained. Sometimes, just adding that new product to the site, a newsletter or that new magazine article, puts a smile on my face. Talking to someone about promoting their product fills my heart and soul with happiness. Each of us can make a small difference in this world and I refuse to focus on the bad things in life. I will make the best of it all. Why? Because I Can!

‘tude vox Ro: How do you find the courage to risk time and money to pursue a career in something you love?

Terena: After being unemployed for six months, your attitude changes about a lot of things. I choose to make the best of everything, with the resources available to me, which means work, work and work some more and never taking “NO” for an answer. Determination!

I received a lot of outside support from the vendors, new friends met during this experience, all without asking, freely given. I am very thankful for all their suggestions, comments, support, etc. In some ways, you could say, these people gave me the inspiration to make my dream a reality.

‘tude vox Ro: What would you like your business to be like in the future?

Terena: Bikertogs.com will be one of the most viewed sites for bikers in the future. I will not change anything about the importance of the site. I will continue to keep my chin up and making the best out of life and what it gives to me. We all need to focus on how we can make a difference in our economy by supporting USA made products and helping others understand this importance.

‘tude vox Ro: Thank you Terena. I really enjoyed reading your answers. We share some of the same circumstances and ideas. I think a lot of other people feel the same way. We can’t always decide what happens to us, but we can choose how we will react. I applaud you and the growing number of others empowering themselves to become their own solution and intentionally co-create their world. Thank you for being an example and inspiration.

When asked the question “What type of music do you like?”, many people respond “All kinds” because it often depends on mood. Happy moods can call for celebration music, love songs and prayer. On the other hand, dark moods often reject messages of peace, love and justice, recoiling in fear and separation.

Places of worship, education, employment and association commission custom-designed songs that reflect values, beliefs and calls for action, specific to the group. Industry has studied the ability of music to persuade and influence for decades and become proficient at its marketing uses. Many mothers’ monitor changes in music listening choices as a sign of society influences that may call for parental intervention. Music matters.

Conscious selection of music is a useful tool for personal growth because the message circumvents the rational mind, reaching the sub-conscious for immediate acceptance. Although the study of this science is beyond the scope of this article, watch an introductory video about it here.

People who actively choose music with lyrics that support and reinforce thoughts contributing to success have an advantage over others. If the music is good, listening is fun and easy, often changing moods, influencing opinion and inciting action instantly. Many people listen to and sing along with music for relaxation, exercise, social interaction and fellowship. Regularly listening to consciously selected music supports intentional thinking, leading to life-changing behavior. The emerging “Positive Music” genre includes a wide variety of musicians dedicated to entertaining people with songs to co-create a better world.

QWTJ Live Internet Radio is playing my song "Do Me" on their hip-hop/r&b radio staion tomorrow night!  I'd appreciate your support.

If you can make some time near a computer tomorrow, Thursday November 5 at 7:00 pm, please tune into QWTJ LIVE Internet Radio and listen for my song "Do Me" then call the station at 859-449-4144 asking them to put music by 'tude vox Ro in rotation. On the website, there is a spot to request a song. Please visit the site frequently, enter "Do Me" and invite your friends to do the same.  

Thanks for your support!

I saw a show last night calledPBS Frontline: The Warning -- How Greenspan, Summers & Rubin Conspired To Silence Derivatives Whistleblower Brooksley Born.  The story is about the economic meltdown, a lady who tried to stop it and Alan Greenspan's deliberate strategy to refrain from enforcing fraud laws. It's amazing how the primary conspirator who caused the global meltdown will live the rest of his life as a multi-billionaire while probably tens of millions of people suffer the financial devastation caused by Mr. Greenspan’s “mistakes”.

Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, was responsible for maintaining a stable economy for the 18 years prior to the meltdown last year. He was a Capitalist who firmly believed in the free market system. I don’t think he ever sufficiently justified how a believer in the free market could take a job regulating that very market, in good consciousness. It’s like a pacifist priest taking a job as an executioner. It is inconsistent. But regardless of the hypocrisy, Alan Greenspan became a very rich and powerful man.

True to his nature, Alan Greenspan is reported to have been involved in a conspiracy to silence Brooksley Born, charged with overseeing the Derivatives Market – the ultimate cause of the meltdown. But are Alan and his co-conspirators “the bad guy”? I think they are greedy, wanna-be elites who convinced themselves to believe whatever they perceive to be in their best interests. I say “wanna-be elites” because these people all worked very hard. It is the people Alan and his buddies ultimately report to that are above the need to actually contribute to society. The elite don’t work. They simply take from society.

I’m sure there are some elite people who are exceptions to this rule. I’m not talking about those who make a big deal about giving “Charitable Donations” to offset their reported income for tax purposes. I’m talking about mega-billionaires that invest in programs to educate the masses, preserve the planet and invent scientific miracles to help humanity. If anyone reading this knows someone who falls into this category, ask them to donate to an edgy niche of the “Positive Music” genre called Gen-Ray Records.

But as a rule, there is a large number of highly intelligent, hard-working people in the “upper-middle class”, earning anywhere from $250,000 a year to several millions of dollars a year who work for the elite in government and industry promoting an agenda, at the expense of regular middle class people. For those of us that still have access to food, housing and medical care (some how, some way), this explosion of desperate people is actually a blessing. Since millions of people are affected so drastically in such a short span of time, virtually everyone personally knows someone in crisis who “doesn’t deserve it”.

Capitalistic propaganda indoctrinates us to believe that everyone who applies himself, works hard and follows the rules will earn the right to food, shelter and medical care to whatever extent he deserves, according to contribution to society. This way, everyone has an excuse to judge the unfortunate as undeserving. This also has a way of lighting a fire under our asses to “prove our worth to society” and ultimately, continue serving the interests of the elite. Greenspan allowed himself to believe “the market would correct for fraud” when in fact his job violated the “free market”.

So now Greenspan and his buddies are considered “the bad guy”. But are they? Certainly they bear responsibility. I think we the people should demand these and other greedy, fraudulent liars pay heavy restitution – in line with the money they earned by defrauding the American public – directly to the American public- as in assets being seized for their crimes, sold and distributed to everyone under some threshold – say a quarter of a million dollars of income a year.

Then we should systematically eliminate laws favoring industry, entity “rights” and protection from individual accountability and devise a system of law that rules on result, not through the loopholes. For example, let’s just say “Corporate Deception” is illegal. Then, instead of judging based on technical confusion, let’s have a judge decide “Was that deceptive?”. If so, “Was the deception intentional?” Then “Who is responsible for the deception” and financially penalize everyone involved in the deception, according to his role in the deception. The more the individual earned during his participation in the deception, the more he would pay.

I’m sure it is not as easy as I imagine. Then we still have to deal with issues of politics – interfering with progress…like the Unemployment Insurance Extension being stalled in the Senate so unrelated items can be attached in a political tug-of-war for power. But if Government Officials had no financial incentive to serve the Corporate Masters, it could work.  Regardless, it’s time we do something productive.

Unfortunately, we are too busy establishing blame and fighting amongst ourselves. Today I read an argument between desperate unemployed people waiting for an extension to avoid being evicted from their houses at "the Washington Independent" site.  In the argument, some people bring up race, others political affiliation regarding blame for our economic condition.

I say, STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER!  We are all vulnerable.  It is not the Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, Atheists, the people from the city, the people from the suburbs, impoverished or well-to-do. It is the systems under which we operate. One of those systems, the Federal Reserve is what I sing about in “Fiat Greed”. Listen FREE. 

We can fix this, if we start now and join together with all of the masses against the abuses by the elite.