I'll tell you what I hate. Because hate seems to curry so much favor (let's be honest here, If I were to start this blog post, "I'll tell you what I love," would you still be reading?).

I hate that after a conference, you loose touch with the people you most want to pick their brains of the people whos brains you wanna pick. DOH! (Allow myself to introduce myself... - Powers, Austin, Powers.)

Sure you could email the brilliant and inspiring wizard who gave that keynote address but she will not answer all 47 people who ask the same damn question. And no. NO!. most of these brilliant are NOT so egomaniacal to have an online discussion forum that archives their FAQs.

Un...

til...

NOW!...

(in order of appearance)

If you need inspiration, wisdom, mentorship, or just tips and strategies from the most successful male and female international CEOs, here's your direct access to their minds... so sit back, plug that thing into the gromet at the base of your skull, and learn kung fu from the Original Bad Asses.

ASK @missdestructo - Ask about building a personal brand. How to be the only person everyone thinks about when they need what you do.
Personal Brand Builder. Tweetup Networking Maven. Writer. Entrepreneur. 'Convinced a man at a Tweetup to buy her an expense ring and swear off every other woman (how DID she do it?).'

ASK @jorgeavilam - Ask about building an International Service Based Business and the steam it takes to keep on fighting.
International I.T. CRM, Database, Network Integrator. CEO. Mexican who loves and understands American Business Development. 'Growing an international empire of friends who just happen to also need his professional help.'

ASK @globalpatriot - Ask about being a hardened CEO but still being 100% bending to opportunity, the whispers of the needing, and serendipity.
International "Mother Teresa (but a dude)(I know, GP will probably ask me to change this but I don't know a better way to describe him so until I get the C&D (Cease and Decist order, it stays (don't ask how I know what a C&D order is)))." Gala Fund Raiser Extraordinaire. Doctors Without Borders. Amazing Wine Collection. Battle hardened and softened CEO. 'A man who's presence in a room is enough to reassure.' ... Fan-TASTIC Wine Collection.

ASK @blogbrevity - Ask about how a Mom can cut through the static of social media and Kick Ass in your own passions.
Entrepreneur. PR. Promoter of one of the top nightclub venues on earth. Inspired. Fearless. Or zen embracer of fear. Mom. Cat lover. Not allergic to cat dander. House smells of cat litter. 'A relentless pursuer of life. Just reading a few words that streamed out of her finger tips is enough to give you a fiery charge for the whole week.'

AND

For your health and medical questions, ask my client, JBNI.us' Team of Scientists and Physicians at http://jbni.us/forum

There's a little known cafe in Santa Monica, CA where one of five people in line for a mocha, or an americano wears big dark shades and low fitted baseball caps. It's pretty crowded so they sit where they can. They grab a paper and if they happen to kick you under the table, they say, "excuse me."

The other four of five people don't wear camo.

One out of these four speak into cell phones loudly, "Yeah, Yeah, Absolutely! He's definately a mentzch, he's the guy who got Pitt and DiCaprio attached to my script. No, no, I'm gunna decline that offer for two (million) bucks as soon as I get off the phone with you... No, ofcourse not! I'm gunna have my attorney draft it for me... No, he's not going out with that super model anymore. Svetlana knows which boat to catch. She came over to MY pad last night... Yeah, she ____'d me dry!"

Then, the second one of the four stares at the first one of the five. He stares until the one looks and says, "Hi. How are you?"

The second one says to the first of five, "Oh My Gawd! You're Leonardo DiCaprio!"

The first of the four realizes that everyone in the cafe realizes that he's full of shit and walks out wishing he too was in camo.

The second one continues, "I'm not done with acting lessons yet but I do have a script! Will you please, please, please, read it? Stay here, It's in my car. I'll get it. Wait, if you're leaving I'll bring it to your car. Which one is yours? No, never mind. It's not really ready. My acting is better anyways. I'll do my favorite line for you right now. In fact, I'll auto DM it to you."

The third of the four out of the five quietly reads thick packets of paper bound by copper tacks, signs official looking documents and takes phone calls outside. They have to pause their conversation when another AMG or Lambo drives by because for the most part, they are whispering.

As the first one of the five hurrys to leave the cafe, he notices the third of the four and stops to appologize for leaving without saying hello. The third just nods a paternal nod and goes on with his conversation, quietly.

There is one more member to this cast. The fourth of the four. He incidentally also happens to be the fifth of the five. He is dressed just like the third to whom the first showed respect. He walks outside to make a phone call just like the third. He smiles politely at tourists trying to figure out if they recognize him just like the third. But he's not. He's the fourth of the four and the fifth of the five.

The third just nods a paternal nod and goes on with his conversation, quietly.

But sure enough, after a bit of time, firsts and thirds start remembering our fourth-fifth. Sure enough, they pass by and offer hat tips lest they accidently fail to pay homage to an even bigger third sporting even lower DL status.

Before long, the fourth-fifth gets invited to house parties in the "Bu." Before long, the fourth-fifth gets invited to yacht excursions down to Baja. Before long, by doing nothing more than showing respect, being cool, and being close, the fourth-fifth becomes a third or first as he wishes, while the first and second of four get eighty-sixed.

Now all you need to know is where that cafe is. Well, if you are a math teacher, that cafe is right here: Math. If you are an ESL teacher, your cafe is here: ESL. If you teach yoga try this cafe: yoga. Sit next to them. Mind your own business. Follow them. 20% will follow you back. If you dress your Twitter bio well, 50% more will follow you back making it a full 1:3 ratio.

But what ever you do, remember to be four and five.

Recommend that you're friends follow @journik because it will make all of us feel good.

continued: HackEDU

When I was 6, I thought, "I can do that too."

When I was 15, I thought, "I can do that too."

When I was 27, I thought, "I can do that too!"

And the whole time I could write better, paint better, sing better, and make better ramen, I never understood why I was never "discovered."

If you are working your ass off, you are sacrificing sleep for your dreams, if you are eating ramen and sleeping on a couch trying to get yourself discovered, You can stop now. Just get a job and get married and pop out 2.3 kids and buy pants that are three sizes bigger then you wear now. Because you are just not going to get discovered.

I was told this once from a wise old man. I wanted to kill him. Too bad he was a kung fu master. The only thing he ever told me about success and talent and luck and opportunity was, "Just keep placticing!"

I'm not telling you can't realize your dreams. What I'm telling you is what my old kung fu master didn't have to. Since I'm not as pithy as he was, I'll elaborate.

You can indeed realize all of your dreams. And the funny thing is that people less talented, less beautiful, less smart, although maybe not less hard working are currently living your dream.

There is a simple reason they are living the dream you are not. It's the invisible stuff you don't see.

There is a simple reason they are living the dream you are not. It's the invisible stuff you don't see. They have what you don't have.

What you don't see is that publishers don't make the author. Producers don't make the actor. The labels don't make the musician.

It's actually the opposite. If you think for a moment that Amazon.com made Hugh McLeod a best selling author of "Ignore Everybody", "Just keep placticing!"

Notice how many loyal followers and friends he had before he publised his book.

Now, notice why... notice the date. He's been at this for five years now.

So if you still hate the world for not recognizing your genius and talent, realize that the publisher does not make the author. The producer does not make the actor, the label does not make the rock star. You do not either. Nor does your work. What makes it all happen are the people who have been supporting you all along.

So now, "Just keep placticing."

To comment, message me on twitter @journik