1. Purpose: The entrepreneurial journey provides a wonderful gateway for Connecting Now With Later. Some will attend because they are wanting to grow their business. Others will attend because they are in a reinvention mode. Still others may be doing quite well, but they want to encourage others who need help. Character development, personal accountability, flexibility, core values, ethics, perseverance and a sense of humor are some of the topics that emerge as important concepts to be considered.
    
2. View yourself as a coach. Facilitation is an art – designed to develop a group dialogue, with the facilitator stepping forward if the conversation is getting off-track or needs to go to a deeper level.
    
3. Ask open-ended questions that foster more than “yes” or “no” responses.
    
4. Use an ice-breakers at the beginning of some meetings. Example: “Two Truths and an Exaggeration” – Each person in the group shares two real events that happened in his or her life, along with one fanciful story. “I once met the actor, Robert DeNiro, at an Aspen ski resort and we rode up the ski chair together. When I was 17 years of age I traveled on a sailboat from Los Angeles to Samoa with my father, my mother and my uncle. I ran in the Boston marathon when I was 22 years of age and was in the top 500 finishers.” The group then determines which one of the three stories is not true about the person. This is an engaging way for people to get to know each other, having a bit of fun while doing so.
    * Another ice-breaker: The "Ah and "Um" Game -- Give a 20 second overview of your business for 20 seconds without saying "ah" or "um." It's very hard for, ah, most people to, um, do.
    
5. Some groups have at least one person who may talk too much and who is adept at highjacking the evening by introducing topics that have nothing to do with the subject matter of the evening. There are also some hyper-needy individuals who are like bottomless pits, pulling everyone’s focus in his or her direction. Be aware of these types of personalities and develop a strategy for keeping the meeting moving in a productive direction.
    
6. Respect the schedules of busy professionals by always starting the meetings on time and ending on time.
    
7. Chairs in a circle may work the best until the meeting gets too large.
    
8. Each week it might be good to have someone communicate for 3-5 minutes on, “The wisdom lesson(s) God has taught me through my business this past month/year” or something like that. The individual then gets to pick the next person to share the next week.

What a Typical Meeting Might Look Like:

                 By the way, Dr. Freeman's books are currently in 28 foreign translation editions.
      Check out the open letter inviting you to participate in more of these foreign translation projects.

    ~ Letter about If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand from a prisoner ~

Dr. Freeman, I find it appropriate to write you from the most humbling place I have ever been. I'm not exactly sure why, but who am I to argue with the wind. I've recently decided to commit to exploring life on different terms by changing my beliefs and accepting certain struggles with open arms and mind. I find it necessary to thank you for bringing comfort along the way.

I am now two months away from release in a correctional facility. I was given the gift of life through incarceration. After several years of trafficking marijuana, the last two while struggling with a deadly addiction of painkillers, I was finally forcefully removed from my lifestyle and given an opportunity to reflect. It wasn’t until two months ago that I committed to walking away from the temptation of fast living and find comfort in sacrifice and struggle.

I'll save you the dramatics involving my journey to this point because I believe my struggle has been trivial compared to others that go unnoticed or are seen but never spoken of. I've always had the ability to find comfort and support from my loving family, I simply chose not to. The mistakes I made revolved around my believing success in life was measured by other people's perception of one's monetary value, not by the satisfaction one feels from being content with life itself. I now have found a new approach to life and holding myself to a higher standard as a person.

For the last year I've been concentrating on a project to keep myself busy during my stay and following my release. My love of creating and enjoying all forms of music has inspired me to address several issues I've found to be problematic, both as an independent in the industry and a patron of others. My goal is simply to empower other independents by providing direction through knowledge and resources using a web based network – eliminating unnecessary middlemen and expenses along the way.

While attempting to better my knowledge and approach towards my goal, I received a copy of If Nobody Loves You, Create The Demand with my normal regimen of materials. I began reading strictly from an entrepreneurial perspective; I finished reading as an adoring admirer, morally obligated to make a better effort in my way of life. I've never felt it more important to shy away from the dangerously easy way of obtaining money than I did as I finished your work.

To say why, I'm without a definitive answer. I'm fairly certain you weren't writing to show convicted drug addicts how to embrace struggle and sacrifice while struggling to sacrifice. But, I also believe you'll appreciate knowing you have not only reached someone in my position, but potentially saved them as well. I am 28 and have never been so positively influenced by another individual's work. I believe I owe you much more than the cost of your book.

I've waited a short period of time to write this letter in order to be sure my feelings are genuine. I keep your book where I can see it daily and make mention of it to others frequently. My father is helping me with my project and had this book sent in. He has been told that that we will one day use your professional services to benefit our team.

I tell myself one day I'll be able to shake your hand and ask if you remember the letter you received from a prison. At that time, if I have not met my goals, I will tell you how much just having a goal is worth to me. Sir, I thank you for the comfort and confidence you have provided me during this transition in my life. Please don't be surprised or feel obligated to respond if I send you an occasional update while I attempt to make a something from a whole lot of nothing.

                          Thank you for your time and efforts,
                                                          Sammy