I’ve been a member of Goodreads, the social networking site for people who love to read, for more than a year now.  But just recently I started to explore it and really got to use it.

What I like about the site is you can list the books you have read, give a brief overview and your opinion about the book and share it with your social networking friends in other networks including Facebook and Twitter.  One of the coolest features is, if a friend is reading a book and you like the review, you can click on the book and it will be linked to Amazon where you can purchase the book.

Obviously, you can also buy new books, used books or anything that is listed in their database.

I like that you can keep track of the books you read too. You can list them under “to read,” “read”  or “reading.” Since I review a lot of social networking books and love to read business and marketing books, I had plenty on my list.  When I typed in the name of the book, the book came up and was placed in my shelf.

You can compare what you are reading to one of your friends or colleagues.  You can read their reviews and get a sense as to whether or not you want to read the book. It also enables you to find out if they read the same books as you so that when you see the person at an event, you have something in common, something to talk about.

As part of my set up, I joined three book groups so that I can get involved in the discussions and meet others who have the same interests as me.

If you love to read any type of book, you should consider joining Goodreads.  I did and I’m really enjoying it!

One issue I see when a business takes itself from the idea stage to doing business in the real world is a lack of intellectual property review.

This can be seen in either taking out a Facebook page or a domain name in either the business name or a proposed product name.    While this is a good idea, to just do it without understanding possible ramifications in either intellectual property or advertising law is a problem.

What is a Trademark?
A trademark is any set of words or a design that identifies goods or services with a particular origin.  This origin is usually the company that makes the goods or provides the services.  The goods or services are marked to show the quality of the origin. For example, certain types of colas taste differently. The name on the package brings to mind the taste right away.

Why do I need my trademarks reviewed?
This is a business asset that is now used in interstate commerce, especially if a website, Facebook, or Twitter is used to help promote the brand.  Federal trademark law allows for damages should one trademark infringe another – even innocently.  From a defensive standpoint, you want your business to have as different of a brand and trademark as possible.  From an offensive standpoint, you want to be able to enforce your business’ mark as much as possible.  You want to reduce exposure from liability to your business, and a review of all trademarks in order to avoid others is paramount.

Quite often, businesses want to engage customers or clients in social media campaigns.  This can come in many forms. If a business wants user-made videos:

• it must ask if it is getting proper permission from those customers to use the copyright in the video;
• it must ask if it is getting proper permission from those customers to use the customers’ images in the video;
• it must review federal regulations.

If the business is engaging with blogs, it must review federal regulations.

Is there a copyright in a user-made video?
Yes, there is.  There is a copyright in any idea that is fixed to a medium.  In this case, the medium is the digital file and the idea comes from the thoughts expressed in the video.

Why does my business need permission?
Without permission for the copyright or the customers’ images, use of both infringes the rights of the owners and exposes the business to liability.

—————————————————————

Anthony M. Verna III is a partner at Kravitz & Verna LLC.  You can contact him by emailing:  averna@kravitzverna.com

My daughter and I joined a running club through New York Road Runners. Every Thursday night, we trek into the city, join a group of twenty-five people, and run around Central Park.

This week, my daughter and I were driving into New York City and noticed that the thermometer read that it was 100 degrees. We looked at each other as if we were both crazy.

“How are we going to run in this heat?” my daughter asked me.

“We’ll be fine,” I said. “Are you hot now?”

“No, but we’re sitting in the air-conditioned car,” she said.

“We will be just fine….” I said.

The closer we got to Manhattan, the hotter the car was registering. By the time we got to 81st Street and Madison Avenue, the car thermometer registered 104 degrees. But, the sky was darkening and it was only six o’clock, which meant it might rain.

We got to P.S. 6 with plenty of time to spare. Our running class started at 6:15 pm. We went to up to the gymnasium and stretched out for about 15 minutes. After that, the beginner group went down one set of stairs and we went out the other set of stairs, which lead to a door outside.

We ran to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then ran to the park. When we got there, we found out that the Black Eyed Peas were playing and the cops wouldn’t let us run. The two coaches were a little taken back. They weren’t sure what we should do. At that very moment, the sky opened and it started to pour.

“Okay lets run back and forth in front of the Met,” one of the coaches said.

I looked at my new friend, Rochelle, who was standing next to my daughter and me. “I can’t believe I wore white today,” I said.

Related articles

• A Runner’s Diary: Running with My Daughter (hilarytopper.com)
• A Runner’s Diary: Running the NYC Half Marathon (hilarytopper.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Are you ready to take the plunge and hire a social media consultant to help your company get more visibility and exposure?

If you are, Here are some questions to ask your prospective consultant:

1. How long have you been involved with Social Media?  Many “social media” experts are relatively new.  You want to hire someone with a proven track record and experience.
2. Have you had any recent successful campaign that you planned and implemented?
3. How would you handle a negative comment?
4. Who would be my project manager?
5. How will you go about growing our community? Will ads be incorporated into the mix or will your you try to grow it organically?
6. Do you incorporates video or podcasts into the social media mix?
7. Do you incorporate blogs? How are blogs tagged?
8. Are blogs bookmarked on Digg, Delicious and StumpleUpon?
9. Is there a plan of action and an evaluation process?
10. How do you  track the metrics of the social media campaign?

Hiring the right social media consultant is not an easy task.  Your consultant will be representing your brand and you want to make sure that he/she is the right fit to promote your product or service.  You also want to make sure that the person has creative, different ideas. Does this consultant stand out from the rest?

We all find ourselves at times walking the edge between this and that, yes and no. What to do? Which way to go…. When you make a decision and you have a sense of “relief” you know it’s a right choice.

It’s about going downstream, letting go of the paddles and letting the current take you.  It’s about riding the waves, not going against the tide.  Use your senses to detect signs: Intuitive “hits” come in many forms-  from sensory images, physical feelings and auditory and olfactory clues.

When you are open to receiving and noticing “signs”, it becomes progressively easier to trust your intuition. The optimal receptive “state” has being “grounded” for a prerequisite.

For instant grounding, connect with nature: take a walk, sit at the ocean meditate, listen to the birds, gaze at a flower.  Now is the perfect season to jumpstart your intuition.

Or listen to a guided meditation, which you may listen to on the Moving Meditation Fitness audio program: www.balanceandpower.com/movingmeditation.php.  The following tips may assist you in accessing your intuition and are most effective when practiced on a daily basis:

• Be Quiet: Take time out every day to experience some form of stillness and silence. Calm your mind chatter with deep breathing or meditation.  Releasing your need to know, analyze and think will allow intuition to work.

• Trust and Look for Signs:  Be open to seeing signs and symbols and receiving information from all around you, including songs from the radio and street signs.

• Be Creative, Play!: Creativity and play partner well with intuition, as does getting into the “zone” with cardio exercise. Whenever you “lose track of the time and move into a “flow state” intuitive guidance may be at work.

• Take Risks and notice your intuitive hits happen!

• Be Inquisitive:When you ask yourself questions, you open to clarity and insight. The answers lie within us- get out of your own way so that the answers can surface and trust yourself.

• Write: Writing allows information and insight to come forth from your inner self. Take time to journal-or blog everyday. Connect moments of gratitude, synchronistic events and affirmations through writing.

• Do something different: Take your mind off your “stuff”: read, go to the movies, be with friends.

Intuition, like any recently acquired skill, takes practice.  When you are accomplished at it, you will reap wonderful results!

———————————————————–

Eileen Lichtenstein, MS Ed, CEO of Balance & Power, Inc is a certified Anger Management Specialist, Career and Mid-Life Coach, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique ) Practitioner and a former Biofeedback Therapist and faculty at Hofstra University.  “SOAR! with Resilience™: The Interactive Book for Overcoming Obstacles & Achieving Success” is the core material for many of her trainings and a motivational read for anyone struggling to take their personal or professional life to a higher level of success and satisfaction. www.balanceandpower.com.