Tim’s business, Grand Dynamics, is based out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but he was in Sacramento yesterday, so Paul and I met up with him for a bike ride and a great salmon dinner (thanks Holly!), and I finally got my hands on a signed print copy of the book. I helped Tim and Rick design the new STN blog and user forums, so I’ve had the opportunity to read through much of the material. The book tells the story of two characters who learn many personal development lessons (lessons Rick and Tim learned on the mountainside and in training exercises with thousands of professionals across the world). Seeking True North goes on to explain these personal and business development models and tools in detail and how to apply them in your own life.

Tim and Rick both do corporate retreats across the globe that focus on organizational development, experiential education, and leadership studies. Check out the new blog at SeekingTrueNorth.com. Congratulations on the book launch guys!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Shameless Plug for Tim Walther’s New Book

Communications coach Carmine Gallo recently wrote up a great critique of Jobs’ presentation, packed with some useful tips for the rest of us to improve our public speaking skills:

1. Build Tension. A good novelist doesn’t lay out the entire plot and conclusion on the first page of the book. He builds up to it. Jobs begins his presentation by reviewing the “revolutionary” products Apple has introduced. According to Jobs, “every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything…Apple has been fortunate to introduce a few things into the world.” Jobs continues by describing the 1984 launch of the Macintosh as an event that “changed the entire computer industry.”
2. Stick to One Theme Per Slide. A brilliant designer once told me that effective presentation slides only have one message per slide. One slide, one key point. When Jobs introduced the “three revolutionary products” in the description above, he didn’t show one slide with three devices. When he spoke about each feature (a widescreen iPod, a mobile phone, and an Internet communicator), a slide would appear with an image of each feature.
3. Add Pizzazz to Your Delivery. Jobs modulates his vocal delivery to build up the excitement. When he opens his presentation by describing the revolutionary products Apple created in the past, his volume is low and he speaks slowly, almost in a reverential tone. His volume continues to build until his line, “Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” Be an electrifying speaker by varying the speed at which you speak and by raising and lowering your voice at the appropriate times.
4. Practice. Jobs makes presentations look effortless because he takes nothing for granted. Jobs is known to rehearse demonstrations for hours prior to launch events. I can name many high-profile chief executives who decide to wing it. It shows. It always amazes me that many business leaders spend tens of thousands of dollars on designing presentations, but next to no time actually rehearsing. I usually get the call after the speaker bombs. Don’t lose your audience. Rehearse a presentation out loud until you’ve nailed it.
5. Be Honest and Show Enthusiasm. If you believe that your particular product or service will change the world, then say so. Have fun with the content. During the iPhone launch, Jobs uses many adjectives to describe the new product, including “remarkable,” “revolutionary,” and “cool.” He jokes that the touch-screen features of the phone “work like magic…and boy have we patented it.”

[via: Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation]

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: 5 Ways to Pitch Your Product Like Steve Jobs

1. Keep exercising and stay fit. I have to conquer my asthma problem, keep running in the evenings at home, and I would like to start a new habit of taking a morning walk at work.
2. Register a dot com domain for myself and the blog. But, this means I need to find a friend who can help me design a professional homepage and possibly redesign the blog with significantly less than $1000.
3. Read at least one book a month that will help me realize my dreams. Since Christmas came, I’ve already got my books for the next 8 months:
   • Tom Peters’ The Brand You50
   • Rajesh Setty’s Beyond Code: Learn to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps
   • Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People
   • Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes’ The Innovation Paradox: The Success of Failure, The Failure of Success
   • James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds
   • Jay Abraham’s Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got
   • Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone
   • Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s Freakonomics
4. Start a new business, and donate one percent of sales revenue to improve the environment through 1% for the Planet (started by the founder of Patagonia).
5. Reflect on my past week and plan my upcoming week. I also need to use my calendar better and want to look into using an online calendar that will sync with my Apple iCal (anyone have any tips?).
6. Start making a regular donation to the Save Darfur Coalition, a charity that sends aid to the victims of genocide in Sudan and lobbies on their behalf. This is a cause I have become very passionate about in the last year or so, and in addition to donating, I have pledged to get commitment this year from at least five friends to sign the easy online petition to the President and the new UN Secretary-General to strengthen the African Union forces in Darfur, to send a UN peace force, and to increase aid to Sudan (please follow that link if you’d like to help petition the UN to send more help—it is an easy 2-minute process).
7. Attend networking events and become a better public speaker through a club such as Toastmasters International.
8. Purchase carbon offsets for my Pontiac through a company like TerraPass.
9. Join GreenDimes, the service that keeps you off junk mail lists for 10 cents a day, and plants a tree for you each month!
10. Teach myself French again with language podcasts or CDs.

What are YOUR New Years resolutions?

Please share in the comments!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: My 2007 New Years Resolutions