Expert Advice

Yesterday I conducted a teleseminar with noted hunter and hunt seat equitation trainer and judge Geoff Teall. For the uninitiated, a teleseminar is a podcast of sorts. It's like an audio clinic or interview that is conducted over the phone and then recorded and made available as an MP3 download or audio CD.

We've been wanting to do a teleseminar for some time. Long-time readers may remember that we actually had one scheduled for January 17, but health issues landed our bridge line operator and Chief Recorder Extraordinaire in the hospital. Once he'd recuperated, however, Geoff's busy life precluded us scheduling another one until yesterday.

The resulting audio file was worth the wait. Geoff talks about "Top 10 Tips for Winning in the Hunter Ring" from a judge's point of view. Throughout the hour-long discussion, he gives clear, concise suggestions for how to practice each element at home, in the comfort of your own ring. He talks about how to identify problems and how to erase them. He expands upon some of the information in his book and offers additional insights that never made it into print. It was an excellent interview.

The audio file is going to be part of a bonus package that correlates to a pre-Christmas Amazon.com campaign. I'll comment more about that as the campaign comes together.

For now, the point of all this is simply to comment on how honored I am to have the privilege of working with experts like Geoff, and Dr. Warson. When I was in Hawaii, Dr. Warson and I took an hour and conducted an interview on "The Harmonics of Horse and Rider" in which he talked about how to match horse and rider for the rider's optimum comfort.

(Sadly, I recorded the Hawaiian audio seminar on my MP3 Recording Flash Drive. Its microphone is just a wee bit too good, and the house was just a wee bit too lively. Ambient noise like doors closing and cats playing is all too audible. That'll teach me to bypass Gary my Bridge Man... I haven't yet determined if I should make the audio file available online as a free download anyway, or if I should type up the transcripts and disseminate the information as an e-booklet .pdf file instead.)

I love it when experts get talking about a subject that is near and dear to them. They're happy to clarify, expand upon, explain, and illustrate. In a very short amount of time, they can disseminate a staggering amount of information. They can shine a light into the darkness of ignorance and frustration. And their passion is contagious.

I also love the idea of the teleseminar. It allows regular people very near access to those on the cutting edge of a given industry -- for a fraction of the cost of traveling across the country or around the world to hear the experts speak in person. After yesterday's experience, I think Geoff is intrigued by the plethora of possibilities that present themselves. We're already discussing the topic for our next audio clinic.

Who knows? Maybe we'll open the lines up on the next one and allow people to listen in live. We'll see where the learning curve takes me.

To Boldly Go...

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first airing of the first episode of the original "Star Trek" series.

According to the programming powers that be, the show never really found its audience. It was cancelled after only three seasons. For all intents and purposes, it was destined to be a mere "blip" on our collective consciousness.

But Gene Roddenberry, the show's creator, never gave up on his vision. He never allowed the industry to define his success.

Regardless of whether or not you like the series, however, no one today could call it a flop. Countless Trekkies still dress up as their favorite characters, attend conventions, and analyze script inconsistencies. (The story is told of how William Shatner started out using random numbers for "Star Date," until he discovered that fans were keeping track, and were getting confused!) Successful movies and spinoff shows followed. The show's original opening is the most famous split infinitive in the English language.

Which goes to show three things:

1.) Correct grammar is not essential for success. There is no such thing as perfection. Worrying about making something "perfect" before showing it to the world is a sure-fire recipe for self-defeat.

2.) Some things get better with age. While "Star Trek" may not have found its niche right away, it has aged remarkably well. Granted, the special effects are as cheesy as they come, but it's still fun after 40 years. And its themes of human spirit, exploration, tolerance for diversity, and searching for understanding continue to resonate.

3.) Never believe what they tell you. If you remain true to your vision, you will eventually connect with others who share that vision with you. Rather than tailor your dreams to try to reach the masses, instead, adhere to your inspiration, and believe that it will one day inspire others. Go ahead -- boldly go where no one has gone before...

Virtual Birthday Party

Join the celebration!

I invite you to join me in celebrating my birthday, coming up this month (it's a big one, ending in a "0!"). No, there won't be a party with age jokes, fire extinguishers for the birthday cake, or black balloons. For my birthday, I wanted to do something worthwhile. So I set up a gift registry with Heifer, International.

Heifer, International is a non-profit, non-religious organization that supplies hungry people worldwide with sustainable livestock like chickens, rabbits, geese, goats, ducks, honeybees, sheep, cattle and more. They also teach animal husbandry, wool-gathering and knitting, and tree reseeding practices. They're a respected organization doing a much-needed work.

A $40 donation will buy a flock of geese AND a flock of chickens. It will buy a hive of bees AND a share of a goat. It will buy a flock of ducks AND a share of seedling trees. Or it will buy you dinner and a movie...

My goal is to raise $40,000 for Heifer, International. Of course I don't have that kind of money available for charitable giving. I suspect you don't either. But I'm not asking anyone to help me reach my goal alone. I encourage you to send a link to this page to those on your mailing list. Then click on this link, and make a contribution that's within your budget.

(You don't have to go through my gift registry to contribute. You can just go to the Heifer, International homepage if you prefer.)

40 is a nice, round number that holds a certain sort of significance as my birthday approaches. If 1,000 people were to help me celebrate my birthday by donating $40 each, I'll reach my goal, it won't put a crimp in anyone's wallet, and we'll all have made the world a better place.

I'll post the names of contributors on the Contributors' List on my website. If you'd prefer that I not mention you by name, just e-mail me and let me know. I won't be posting how much any person gives -- just knowing that you did something will be more than enough of a present for me!

Here's the link again: http://tinyurl.com/oupcx

Happy Birthday to me! And thanks for helping me celebrate!

Rider's Wednesday -- "iGallop" Away!

Special thanks to my friend SH who, when she's not swinging from the rafters of her parents' garage (you'd have to ask her, but it's a funny story...), is browsing online for all sorts of nifty, gotta-have-'em gadgets.




Like the iGallop, with three handy speeds: Trot, Gallop, and -- for a real workout -- Race. It sits in your home, looking for all the world like a high-tech whoopie cushion, just begging you to stay indoors, leave your horse in the barn, and go for a virtual ride. What's next? the iWheelbarrow? With iPitchfork? The iHaybale or iFeedbags?

The reality is, those of us who enjoy riding actually like horses. We don't want a virtual experience. We want the Real Thing. When I have the time to ride, the last thing I want to do is find another excuse to keep me indoors. And I doubt that the iGallop is half as good company as my boys in the pasture...

Don't believe me? Then by all means, order yours today.

Book Update

"The Rider's Back Book" is as done as it can be for now. The text edit and photo selection is finished. All that remains is for Dr. Warson to read it and approve of the final wording, for Charles to tweak a few last pictures, and for the selection and placement of a few medical illustrations. Happy day!

With any luck, I'll have a few days of R & R to relax with my family, paint a room or two, and clean my house and barn. I also have a few personal projects I've been wanting to get to work on, as well as some in-depth marketing work. And there's always the contract negotiation for the next book project waiting in the wings. But it's good to be close to signing off on this project. It's been fun! Can't wait to see it in print.

It Couldn't Happen To a Nicer Guy

I just found out last night that my friend, photographer extraordinaire Charles Hilton got married this weekend. What a wonderful surprise. I called him to talk about the photos for The Rider's Back Book, and heard the Happy News.

I am thrilled for him. Next to my husband and my father, he's one of the nicest guys I know. I had the privilege of talking to his new wife and congratulating both of them on their new life together.

Sometimes good things really do happen to good people. Charles also told me about an exciting new job development he has in the works. I say, "Good For You!"

One of the wonderful things about my job is that it brings me in touch with some truly extraordinary people. Things don't always go well for people, and I'm always touched when they confide in me during the down times. But sometimes, the clouds part, the sun comes out, and their lives just glow. Then I'm grateful to be a part of their lives and be able to share in their good fortune.

Congratulations, Charles and "Annie!" God Bless!

Oh yes: the edit of the book is finished. There are still some photo choices to be made, and I'm waiting to receive the radiographs, scans, and other medical illustrations, but I'm confident that neither thing will hold up the project. I sent the manuscript to Dr. Warson for his perusal.

I'm going to spend some time Tuesday finishing up the photo selections. After that, it's just a matter of waiting for everyone involved to sign off on the project, packing it all up in a neat little box, and shipping it to Trafalgar Square. Things are just peachy all around!

Labor Day Labors

Had hoped to have the comprehensive book edit done by now, but it's not to be... Great progress has been made, but life intrudes on occasion, too. Went to lunch with my friend Denise on Friday, took Cassandra to the park Saturday evening, took time out to watch a video with Karen last night -- a sort of "last movie night" before she leaves us to head West tomorrow. You can't work all the time.

So, today, which I had hoped to have free to play with my family, will be yet another day of labor. That's ok; the end really is in sight. And there are many plans for the time that frees up, including finishing the riding ring, painting the guest room, rearranging Cassandra's closet, downsizing the toys and clothes we've accumulated and CLEANING MY HOUSE! All that "normal" stuff has been held at arm's length for far too long, but is now impinging on my consciousness and demanding attention.

Still, before I can get to any of that, the book must be done. So -- back to the trenches. Happy Labor Day!

The Strategy of Spin

One of my ongoing commitments is working as a marketing consultant for a small publisher. I come up with ways for them to get their name well known within their target audience, and also suggest marketing ideas for specific titles.

I love this kind of work, and like to think that I'm pretty good at it. Still, when I read in the Washington Post yesterday about a
$20 million PR contract from the U.S. military for more positive coverage of news in Iraq, I wasn't tempted to submit a bid for the job.

The $20 million would be spread out over two years. According to the proposal, a team of 12 to 18 people would be involved in proposing several public relations events per month, such as speeches or news conferences, including "preparation of likely questions and suggested answers, themes and messages as well as background, talking points."

Any way you slice it, that's over half a million a year per spin doctor. (If you're interested, bids are due Sept. 6, and the 24-month contract is scheduled to begin on Oct. 28.) It's a possibly promising position, until you realize that then you'd be expected to put a positive spin on reports like the one in yesterday's Boston Globe which included these factual gems:

[T]he pay gap between soldiers and defense CEOs has exploded. Before 9/11, the gap between CEOs of publicly traded companies and army privates was already a galling 190 to 1. Today, it is 308 to 1. The average army private makes $25,000 a year. The average defense CEO makes $7.7 million.

The top profiteers after 9/11 were the CEOs of United Technologies ($200 million), General Dynamics ($65 million), Lockheed Martin ($50 million), and Halliburton ($49 million). Other firms where CEO pay the last four years added up to $25 million to $45 million were Textron, Engineered Support Systems, Computer Sciences, Alliant Techsystems, Armor Holding, Boeing, Health Net, ITT Industries, Northrop Grumman, Oshkosh Truck, URS, and Raytheon.

While Army privates died overseas earning $25,000 a year, David Brooks, the disgraced former CEO of body-armor maker DHB, made $192 million in stock sales in 2004. He staged a reported $10 million bat mitzvah for his daughter. The 2005 pay package for Halliburton CEO David Lesar, head of the firm that most symbolizes the occupation's waste, overcharges, and ghost charges on no-bid contracts, was $26 million, according to the report's analysis of federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

It will take a special sort of spin talent to make such things appear with a positive slant. But Spin Doctors can work with anything. They can make cigarette smokers seem cool and alcoholics sexy. They can make otherwise sane people think that a little pill of a certain color will enable them to eat anything they want or become a geriatric Lothario. No doubt, there are those who are drooling to jump at the chance to spread their creative wings on this assignment...