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Written by: Scott Dinsmore

Average Reading Time: 6 minutes

Who's a bit confused on how to get 140 characters working for you and your brand? My hand's up. At least it was until I finished up Shama's new book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing. I have been aggressively learning about social media marketing for the last few months and I was still having trouble connecting the dots. Shama got me excited to the point that I started making changes before I finished the first couple chapters. On top of that, Twitter finally is starting to make sense. And it actually is useful. And she more than fully covers the others as well: Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and video. In fact my last couple articles got more Facebook and Twitter mentions than the previous ones combined. I love immediate results.

Written by: Scott Dinsmore

Average Reading Time: 5 minutes

What's more likely to get you to buy something: a slick sales pitch or a friendly referral? It's no surprise that we'd all prefer to do business with someone we like and trust. And who couldn't use a reminder? Well a group of 150 entrepreneurs and I had the chance to make this a life motto when we heard Jim Cathcart speak at a Catalyst For Thought event in Santa Barbara last week. What followed was an hour-long energizing, motivating, belly laughing, masters education on how to live life. Jim's written 14 books on relationship selling and speaks, coaches and inspires behavior across the world. Yet we had him all to ourselves. He learned early in life that business should be an act of friendship and has guided his life accordingly. If that's where you start, there's no limit to where you'll end.

Avoid the Chatter! Written by: Scott Dinsmore

Average Reading Time: 4.7 minutes

I propose an idea. A call to action to fight the chatter and enjoy what's presently in front of us. Let me explain. Last week I found myself at a social media marketing event in San Francisco called SMASH. Fascinating and inspiring to say that least. Of all I learned, there was one word that stood out more than most: Chatter. Talk about a buzz word! In fact that one word summed up the whole event. For those of you not aware, chatter is the noise all the social networks in the world make when they have something to say...which is at least every second. It can be heard through your iPhone, your computer, your RSS and your iPad-and just about anything else you carry around that needs electricity. At some point it became our job to listen to and follow it. Anyone with a blog or interest online feels the interest and likely the obligation to keep up with this chatter. But how much better off does it leave us?

The80/20 Principle and Richard Koch Interview

Written by: Scott Dinsmore

Average Reading Time: 4.5 minutes

Ask Richard Koch and he'll tell you that life efficiency can be summed up in a sentence: 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. My guess is we've all heard it before (especially if you read my resent post summarizing his book). But what might surprise many of you is that he sums up life happiness and fulfillment in just the same way. I had to learn more. After virtually following him between his homes in South Africa, Portugal and Sevilla, I learned two things. 1. He's not the easiest to track down and 2. He lives what he writes, to the T. He IS the 80/20 Principle. He of course wouldn't give a phone interview, only email--it was an 80/20 thing...

Slow Dance by David L. Weatherford

Written by: Scott Dinsmore In honor of Mother's Day today, I though I would share a poem that's been instrumental in my life and those around me. I hope it has the same effect on you. It was first brought to me by Tim Ferriss and I have kept it as a guiding light ever since-framed next to my front door in fact.

Slow down and take the time to appreciate your mother today. Without her where would you be?

Slow Dance

by David L. Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain slapping the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun fading into the night? You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.

Written by: Scott Dinsmore Average Reading Time: 5 minutes For one day each year, any and all of us get the chance to listen to 6.5 hours of live questions and answers with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger (and even ask one of your own if you're lucky). This year almost 40,000 people took advantage of the opportunity. I was one of them. As I was last year and the two years prior to that. The weekend has become an annual highlight that words cannot describe. Despite the fact that it's important for our business in the investment partnership my partner and I run, this is one of the best weekends of the year for learning about life and personal improvement. I love it. The topic of the day: Life Lessons.

The Blue Zones

The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived The Longest by Dan Buttner Average Reading Time: 3.5 minutes Why You Should Read It: Who wouldn't mind having a few more enjoyable years on this earth?? These are useful, simple tips. I wonder if I can live to be 100, and enjoy every year of it? I think it might be possible. Very possible. What about you? With all the guidance regarding longevity, diet and simple living, I have a strong feeling that some of us will live a lot longer than people give us credit for - If we stop following the crowd that is.

Negotiating a Fixed Price Written by: Scott Dinsmore Average Reading Time: 5.5 minutes When was the last time you were shopping for a pair of jeans and you told the clerk, "you'll have to do better than that" after seeing the price? My life experience would say that none of you have.  For some reason we feel like the number on a price tag is set in stone when we go to most shops--retail, grocery, etc. Well I have news for you. 95% of the time it's not. Those storeowners are using the rule of legitimacy on us and it's working--because it's been written and printed, we assume it's their best offer. Let's change that assumption.

How To Ethically Influence Behavior A few days ago I got the chance to interview Robert Cialdini, best-selling author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion and Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. Dr. Cialdini's work has done wonders for my interactions both personally and professionally. The...