Chickenhawk Scratchings

Brian Langley, a good friend and colleague at the office, recently introduced me to ning.com, a website where you can create your own social network sites.  These sites are similar to facebook, and allow you to create groups for any reason.

In five minutes, he and I created a group for our office, just to see how easy it was.  Then, my mind started exploring the possibilities for using ning.  My first thought was to create a website for any farm that an agent has.  It would be a great way to keep in touch with your farm, and it would be a great way to gather prospects' email addresses.

If you have used ning, what ideas have you come up with?  Have you enjoyed any successes with it yet?  I look forward to using this new tool, and I will have to report what sort of things I end up doing with it.

As we prepare to bid adieu to 2008, we must look to the future and prepare to embrace 2009.  That means that we have to analyze our business stats from 2008 and set goals for 2009.

I like to subscribe to Gary Keller's thinking when he advocates thinking big and setting big goals.  Thinking big, however, doesn't mean thinking completely unreasonable.

My team has been growing, slowly and steadily, so my goals for next year will be greater than 2008.  I have also been employing some new lead generation techniques that have generated quite a lot of leads in the last few months. 

With those things in mind, I am working now on my goals for 2009.  My "goal" for getting goals done will be December 15th. 

I'm feeling like I'm in the mood for a challenge... so we'll see just how challenging they'll be!

Tonight, I am treating myself to "Beverly Hills Ninja", a ridiculous Chris Farley movie.  I want a mindless comedy.  Mindless doesn't begin to describe this!

It started me thinking.   What role models exist for kids today in the entertainment industry?  It seems that all of the popular entertainers end up on camera with drug problems, promiscuity, and more.

Outside of the parents, whom I think are the most important role models, who exists as good, positive role models for the kids of today?

As I contemplate this, I am going back to my mindless comedy.  I need a laugh!