SelflessTee is a fashionable apparel company on a social movement. It is a place where a community of creative souls can band together and share their artistic talent for fame, profit, and most of all, meaningful change by taking action towards a better future. How it works: SelflessTee will hold design contests for their partners, non profits that you, the community, will choose. Winning designs get turned into apparel that SelflessTee sells on their site. You’ll see 1/4 of their profits from all purchases in action when you follow online or join them in creating a better world right alongside their countless partners. They want to be very clear. SelflessTee is not only about the delivery of any one idea (i.e. serve 30k breakfast meals to low income kids). Instead, they’ve created a company that will sustain itself to continuously attack social issues of a community’s choosing, YOUR choosing, across the globe. The company’s founder Danny B. (Danny Bocanegra) already took action on a single idea- we want more!

Nextvoice247 has been grateful to see this idea germinate and now would like to see it grow to its fullest potential. So take a minute and help an idea grow by voting for the SelflessTee at the Pepsi Refresh Project contest.

VOTE HERE:

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This post brought to you via the blog Generacion Y from award-winning Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez -

I have heard hundreds of times that the university – like a cemetery – could not be invaded by the demons of repression. I imagined them milling around the steps, without the power to enter this zone of letters and mathematical formulas where the students are sheltered. But this supposed immunity lived only in my fantasies, as Cuban history shows successive transgressions suffered by the universities in my country. Before the gaze of the statue of Pallas Athena, the ideological castigation has broken into these precincts dedicated to knowledge and scholarship countless times.

During the first half of the Twentieth Century, several student protests went so far as to demand the resignation of the president, bearing witness to the social force that emanated from the student desks. Painted on the walls around La Colina, where the University is located, you can still see the youthful nonconformity that later revolutionary purges reduced to apathy. The University Student Federation (FEU) has ceased to be a hotbed of ideas and actions that more than once shook the city, and become, to the students, a representation of power. Thus, the organization lost all its rebel character and its leaders are no longer elected for their charisma or popularity, but rather for their political reliability. The slogan, “The University is for Revolutionaries,” has contributed to imposing the mask as the safest way to achieve a diploma.

In these two years since Raul Castro came to power, expulsions for ideological reasons have continued – and are on an upward course – in the centers of higher education. When Sahily Navarro, daughter of a prisoner of the Black Spring, was prevented from returning to her classroom, I learned that the battered student league had gone from agony to necrosis. A few days after the headstone of sectarianism was placed over the remains of the FEU, Marta Bravo was expelled from her teacher training program for demanding reforms in the country. The notes of a requiem was composed by those who fired the teacher Darío Alejandro Paulino, after he opened a Facebook group to discuss issues with regards to the faculty of Social Communication. With these sad events, the federation – once led by Julio Antonio Mella – has confirmed its death at the hands of the dragons of dogmatism and intolerance, who now freely roam the university campus.

something to…

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emerging leader, jeff berger & social recruiting interview from Gilbert Melott | Nextvoice247 on Vimeo.

Nextvoice247 Presents: An Emerging Leader Interview with Jeff Berger @GenYjobs, Co-founder and CEO of KODA @KODAus.

Q. According to a recent press release, you have partnered with a half dozen schools and anticipate having 25 more partners within the next 6 months. In addition, you have established relationships with over 400 employers. What have been your most effective methods for forming these partnerships?

A. Like all new products, we began with zero users and had to start somewhere. Our sales team ignited the initial spark and we have been able to build on that momentum through positive reviews and press in the recruiting industry. Once we demo the site for companies and schools, the odds that they will sign up are in our favor. The main challenge, though, is getting them to agree to the demo.

We continue to have more success getting new companies to sign up compared to universities because of the bureaucracy involved with higher education. However, we are pleased with the adoption from schools overall.

Q. Although you’ve received $3 million in funding and established numerous relationships with schools and employers, there is still some skepticism out there about KODA’s ability  to “make waves in this space.” What do you think will make your network stick as you look into the next 3 to 5 years?

A. Young professionals with 0-5 years of experience will always need jobs. KODA serves a very functional purpose and sometimes I think that gets overlooked because jobs aren’t “sexy” in the web 2.0 world. KODA isn’t a novelty product or a fad, its serves a very real purpose.

Traditionally, job sites focus on the employer because the employer is the one who pays. The entire product is designed for employers and the unemployed job seeker is thrown to the wolves. While employers are still the paying customer on KODA, our focus is on the job seeker. We believe its all about the candidate and we develop the product with the individual in mind.

Q. How will you define success with KODA and what obstacles will you have to overcome to get there?

Jeff Berger, CEO KODA

A. To be the top online recruiting website for people with 0-5 years of professional experience. When people are leaving college and thinking about how to get a job, we want them to think of KODA. In order to achieve that goal, we have the challenge of providing people with the relevant and interesting jobs that they are looking for.

Q. What has been the most thrilling experience thus far in the KODA start-up saga?

A. Truthfully, the whole experience has been an adventure, with some ups and some downs.

Proving concept enough to raise a significant amount of money would have to be one of the most fulfilling moments thus far. As a start-up, you only have so much runway (cash until you go broke) and that puts a lot of pressure on you to perform or your dreams and months/years of work are all over. To raise additional money and keep going was definitely a rewarding moment.

Q. You just graduated from Tulane University in 2008. How does it feel to be the CEO of a start-up company right out of college?
A. Its been an incredible experience. I have made a lot of mistakes but just try to learn from them and make better decisions at my next opportunity. I love the mental challenge and the constant grind. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a dedicated group of people that share a common vision.

The funny thing is that I’m the youngest KODA employee.

Q. What are two lessons you’ve learned about business through your experiences with KODA that you did not learn in college?

A. It’s honestly just an entirely different ballgame. I’d have a tough time answering the question the other way around, “name two lessons that you learned in school that have helped you in business”. That’s not really a knock on Tulane either, I think it’s a great university, but I don’t think its possible for the classroom to prepare you for what happens once your start-up is ready to launch.

Q. Before working with KODA, you were the top leasing agent for a real estate company, a role that allowed you to build skills in sales, negotiations, and communication. How has this experience helped you in your efforts to make KODA successful?

A. My real estate experience prepared me more for what I am doing now than school ever did. It was a commission-based sales job, in a very competitive atmosphere. I started doing it when I was 20 and was competing on commission with people in my office who were twice my age. I worked seven days a week and was constantly doing everything possible to close deals and it paid off – I always ranked as the top producing agent.

This experience helped me develop a work ethic needed to succeed as well as the confidence needed to sell KODA. Meetings with vendors and negotiations can be overwhelming when you are fresh out of college but because of my job in real estate, I always felt very comfortable in these situations.

Q. On your KODA profile, your description of the typical entrepreneur is quite interesting. In your opinion, what are three qualities that make a successful entrepreneur?

A. 1. Dedication – sleepless nights are a way of life.

2. Vision – you better be able to explain it also.

3. Execution – this is where ideas hit the pavement. Execution is everything.

Q. What advice do you have for those aspiring to start their own business right out of college?

A. Find the advisors who know your industry in and out. Not only are they critical to raising money from outside investors but they also have the experience to help you avoid costly mistakes. Your university should be able to recommend a person or two.

Q. So if “sleepless nights are a way of life”, when DO you sleep?

A. It’s all about the routine. I try to grab five hours a night. But the five hours might be from 4AM-9AM.

This interview was conducted by John Fowler an ongoing contributor and program developer for Nextvoice247.

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In the last 100 years, human civilization has rocketed through the Industrial Age, past the Information Age, and into the unknown digital mystery of the future. We now live in a constant state of change. Everyday computers get faster, smaller, and cheaper. Everyday we wake up and the Earth is a little bit warmer. The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain.

History of Modern Man.

Modern Man is the latest iteration of humanity. Modern Man has been around for 150,000. That is 3,000 lifetimes. All of civilization has been created in the last 10,00 years or 200 lifetimes. The Industrial Age is 300 years old or 6 lifetimes, and the Information Age has lasted for 30 years or one lifetime. We are now entering the Shift Age.

Nextvoice247 is happy to bring to you David Houle. David writes and curates the highly regarded futurist blog, www.evolutionshift.com. He has been speaking about the future for a number of years and his first book The Shift Age has just been published.

David Houle has always been slightly ahead the curve. He spent more than 20 years in media and entertainment and was part of the senior executive team that launched MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and CNN Headline News. He is the recipient of two Emmys, the Heartland award, the prestigious George Foster Peabody award and has been nominated for an Oscar.

If you would like to get a copy of The Shift Age Trend Report with a special Nextvoice247 premium [ENTER TalentRev2 --- it is case sensitive --- so make the right 'key shifts...'] when you click order report NOW!

We know you will find it very insightful – so subscribe to the future – today. Make it a great one.

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russell simmons & hip-hop change the world from VoiceBox | Nextvoice247 on Vimeo.



Courtesy

Global Grind

Russell Simmons has long been a hero of mine for what he has  accomplished on multiple business fronts. As an entrepreneur, it has been about nailing the things that would make a business successful. We are glad to bring you this post from blogger Sarah van Schagen.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is the co-founder of Def Jam Records, a sometime reality star, and an entrepreneur who’s launched a number of successful ventures including clothing lines Phat Farm and Baby Phat. He’s also a yoga-practicing vegan who’s hoping to use his resources to make change in the world of hip-hop—and the world at large.

Describing himself as “hip-hop to the bone,” Simmons is quick to hail the power of that community in influencing politics, pointing to a recent change in drug policy in New York State. “That was because Jay-Z and Puffy and Rev Run and LL Cool J and many other people came out to rally,” he says. “A lot of politicians joined them, but the artists made the noise and created the energy and made the change.”

Simmons has high hopes for rallying that same energy in the fight against climate change—an issue, he admits, the community has yet to truly embrace. But he’s harnessing more than the power of lyrics and videos to get the message out. He’s recently given birth to a new-media company called Global Grind—a hip-hop HuffPo, if you will—featuring news stories, video clips, and celeb blog posts on topics ranging from music and entertainment to “politricks.”

Simmons has also taken on the role of spokesperson for the America’s Greenest Campus campaign, an effort to get college students (a key hip-hop demographic) to reduce their carbon footprint. The contest ran through October and offered prizes to the school with the most participants, the school with the largest percentage of carbon emissions reduced, and the creator of an online ad for sponsor SmartPower.

During a recent phone call—and between bites of a Gardenburger-topped salad garnished with both salad dressing and ketchup (a combination his staff poked fun at, he says)—Simmons talked about his commitment to reducing his own footprint, the brand power of hip-hop, and the importance of well-informed consumers.

Q. Tell me about the America’s Greenest Campus contest. Why have you signed on to help publicize this campaign?

A. The hip-hop community has not been as concerned about the environment as they could be, so if I can loan my voice and my resources … into growing it very quickly, then I believe that companies can create more awareness on this subject. It’s something that I’m very committed to, so I want to tie this educational vehicle, Global Grind, directly to this “America’s Greenest Campus” idea, and I want to see how I can help others to lighten their footprint.

Q. What role can young people play in helping change the way we think about climate change in this country?

A. [This campaign] is an educational tool and an empowerment vehicle. People don’t understand what it is to lighten their footprint, what steps to take. So if we give them the simple steps and we tell them exactly how much it affects the environment if they make certain changes—being a vegetarian, doing other things that make a dramatic difference in how much weight they carry in the world—people want to know that. When they realize that by changing simple things they can make a difference, it’s an empowerment vehicle.

Q. You’ve said that you used to live a life of overconsumption and abundance—how have your priorities changed over time?

A. One thing is that I’m an animal activist. I felt very disturbed about the way humanity treats its species on this planet. It was a spiritual matter, and it was not connected, at first, to the environment. And then when I found out that your footprint is so much heavier because you eat animals—that’s [a bigger] cause of global warming … than all forms of transportation put together—it became a part of my discussion when I was trying to get people to stop eating animals and abusing themselves by eating them. I didn’t realize how much they were abusing the planet as well.

Q. Hip-hop culture definitely trumpets a life of luxury and overconsumption, and that message is going straight to the youth, so it feels a little bit contradictory to say “hey, green your campus, lessen your footprint” but also be telling them “have the pimpest car and the blingiest bling”—

A. I’m going to interrupt you. First of all, the abuse comes from the top down. The president’s flying around in a private plane. Stop playin’! Everybody’s abusive and every channel’s abusing us … All the people pointing the finger at hip-hop need to point at themselves.

If hip-hop decides to buy something that’s popular in culture and talk about it, that certainly doesn’t make them more abusive. They’re more conscious, not less. They’re less homophobic, not more. They’re less violent, not more. They’re less racist, not more. But it’s wrong [to say that] in general, they’re less concerned.

I will say that it is a community that needs to be enlightened more. But that’s not the issue—their mission of getting ahead. That’s a mission America sends on every network, in every promotion, on every channel, and every commercial.

Because they sing about the things that people buy? I think that’s a reflection of us. They are reflections of us, and our dirt is coming right out of their mouths …

Q. Do you think the hip-hop community can lead the charge to help shepherd these changes?

A. You’ve gotta hope so, because the biz is depending on hip-hop to pick which color diamond is popular. The only way [the Maybach] beats Phantom Rolls Royce is to get rappers to choose it. Tommy Hilfiger’s praying that hip-hop discovers him again. So is Coca-Cola; [they’re] worried what hip-hop says versus Pepsi.

We need them; they’re the best brand-building community in the world. If we can get a large number of hip-hoppers to take this on, then they will have a greater impact in lots of forms of media.

Q. Are there any artists in particular who have taken on this cause?

A. I don’t have a rapper that I can point to the way I can point to Leonardo DiCaprio. But I’m going to work now as an individual, and I’m trying to find some leaders in the community who can make a huge difference.

Q. Have you done any work to move along environmental changes in the music industry—or have you seen any promising changes in the way the industry is run?

A. I don’t know that they’ve done a lot of work yet. The reason I signed on [to this campaign] is because I felt they were not serving this initiative. They work on many things that are social and political, but this has not been one. It’s not been on the forefront in their minds, and that’s why I’m trying to make a difference now by joining on. I’m not joining on because they have a lot of hip-hoppers involved in the environmental movement. I’m joining on because they don’t, and I think that we can put it in their face and they’re conscious people and a lot of them will join.

Q. What about your clothing lines? Have you made moves to ensure they have minimal impact on the earth?

A. Not as much as I should. It’s something we’ve talked about a lot. In fact, we had a discussion about making a lot of organic cotton for Wal-Mart yesterday.

Q. What’s holding you back on that front? What needs to happen so that it makes sense from a business point of view?

A. You have to get customers to value it. Some of these choices we want to make—in order for us to be competitive and still make a difference, we have to be profitable. There is a resistance on the part of some consumers that is making it more difficult. We have to promote the value of organic choices to the consumers … We’re working on it. It’s a marketing exercise.

Q. Do you feel it’s your role as a public figure to use your status to promote change?

A. I try to go to work every day and make sure my businesses have a light footprint in every area. I stopped my licensees a long time ago from making fur; my new companies are not making leather. I’m trying, you know? I try to every day do a little better, but that’s for me to sleep at night. If you live by example, if you speak in a way that people can digest it and see the value in it, then you can get people to join in. I know that as [people] learn to do better, they do better, they feel better, and they sleep better as a result of making a good choice.

This article is brought to you from the Seattle Editor of The Grist.

by Sarah van Schagen

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Courtesy of Talent Revolution and The ShiftAge Trend Report. We are very proud to be part of the team bringing you this very insightful and long-view thinking and a chance to plan for our future.

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1. Can you very briefly describe yourself and list your contact information?

My name is Francis Dayamba and I am a junior civil engineer at Clarkson University. Despite my technical background, I have created a club that will allow me to cultivate my social engineering mindset and to express my concern about the lack of development in my continent of origin, Africa. The characteristics that I feel define me as a person are: well-roundedness, patriotism, enthusiasm and confidence.

Contact Information: dayambfo@clarkson.edu, Founder of D’AMUGE FUND Club.

2. Can you describe the organization that you started/helped to start?

The D’AMUGE Fund targets educational institutions, particularly primary schools, in an attempt to impact the dynamics of destitute communities in Benin. Education is becoming increasingly essential to one’s success in life. So, the logic behind this initiative is the more accessible education is the more of a chance students will have to succeed in life and the more they will be able sustainably help their country.

We intend to establish multi-faceted grass root level projects, in an attempt to address the causes rather than the effects of poverty. While these projects have been primarily established to increase educational accessibility, they also target entrepreneurship, infrastructure and health of the community.

An example of such a project is an initiative that builds a water tap in a school. While the water tap will be managed by both the staff and the students, water will be sold to the local community. Not only will this provide accessible clean water to the community but it will generate profit for the school. This profit is then to be saved until enough money is collected to build another water tap. This money would then be donated to another school to allow them to benefit from the same privileges and so the cycle would continues.

3. What was the process you followed to start your organization?

To begin with, I observed that in Benin there are industrious and honest people that are in  need of sustainable resources but do not know how to access them. Likewise, at Clarkson there is an interest amongst students to assist but lack the knowledge on how to do so. With that being said, the first step in the process of creating the club was to realize that both of these extremes existed. The club is merely a medium by which these two parties can benefit from one another.

The second step is to convert an idea into a reality by making your group officially recognized by an established authority, which in my case is the student senate. Before the D’Amuge Fund can be recognized by the student senate, a constitution has to be created which will be scrutinized. If it is approved the club is then officially recognized.

Thirdly, you must be willing to advertise your club in an effort to recruit members in order to build man power. At the same time, it is important to establish core members of your group that are dedicated to the cause.

This is currently the stage at which the club is at, but the next steps that the club anticipates to cover are:

Have a successful first meeting in which we will establish the direction of the club

Hold elections to determine officers throughout the year,

Build awareness on campus while following the mission.

At the end of the year, execute the plan that was designed in the beginning of the club.

4. Can you tell me the story of how you raised $650 and donated it to schools in Africa in person?

In order to build awareness of Africa, the club decided to sell West African bracelets to the Clarkson community while informing students, professors and faculty of the conditions that the average person faces in Benin. We created a brochure and a poster which we used at table in our student center between rush-hour times (12-1 and during the intermission of hockey games) and advertised for a total of 10 hours.  Out of curiosity, charity and concern the Clarkson community bought the bracelets and donated money. Overall, we were able to raise approximately 650 dollars.

The delivery of the donations to the school was the most rewarding aspect of the whole process.   We chose the School of Avossa because of the desolate conditions and its resilient and hard-working staff. The most challenging aspect was determining how we could distribute the funds in order for the money to be used as efficiently as possible. With much consultation with the director of the school district, an educational specialist and the director of a Non-governmental Organization (NGO), the money was distributed as follows.

The funds were used to purchase the cloth required to sew school uniforms, which were provided to all of the students of the primary school. We gave the cloth to the student’s so that the families do not become dependent on our help and are forced to contribute towards the expense of getting the cloth sewn. This will also help the local tailor, who will get an influx of clients from the school. We rewarded the top 10 students with merit-based scholarships and the poorest 20 students with need based scholarships. In addition they all received kits that consisted of a notebook, a pen and a pencil.

We decided to help the 20 poorest students because in this primary school it was found that there is a correlation between higher family income and success of children at school.

In addition to that, we donated Christmas presents to the school in the form of soccer and tennis balls, candy and cookies and various board games.

Along with that, the NGO called IFESH- Benin donated a variety of things from French work books to teaching manuals.

5. What is your ultimate goal for this fall?

Despite the impact that was made, more work is needed. So this year, we are going to set a goal to fundraise more than $2000 by seeking help from external sources such as NGO’s and co-operations interested in helping our cause. Once the money is raised, we would like to think of creative ways in which we can help schools whilst bolstering the economy of the local community. We would also like to build the cultural awareness of West Africa amongst the club and the Clarkson community.

6. What leadership qualities do you think you are honing from establishing and working with your organization?

Before I make any comments about my leadership abilities, I would like to mention that the group with which I am working is very laborious and consists of connoisseurs at particular tasks that they are doing to help the club. The most important quality that I bring to the group as a leader is my knowledge of the Beninese educational system and my interest in development. Both of these allow me to give a unique perspective on how the club should be run and what particular problems we should address. In a sense, I have an emotional attachment to both the club and the problems that we are trying to solve. The goal is to have this emotional drive resonate throughout the whole group.

7. How might people outside of Clarkson University help your organization?

At this stage, there are two ways in which people outside of Clarkson can assist in the clubs endeavors. Firstly, I would like people to brainstorm and find innovative ways to help the education facilities in small communities while positively affecting the economy of the community. Secondly, donations are always solicited and deeply appreciated. As the club develops out of its infancy stage, there will be a lot more tasks that can be accomplished by students outside of Clarkson. Hopefully, one day we can have the club grow to the point that we have more chapters all around the nation and they can help in their own way.

8. Can you tell me about any noteworthy accomplishments your club has had?

So far, the most noteworthy accomplishment has been the donated money to the school at Avossa. My father kept in contact with the school and apparently the following semester more students enrolled into primary school. This news in itself motivated me to continue the work that I am doing.

One of the main functions of this club is to change the mind-set of the people in these local communities. They must understand that they should not be content with their current quality of life. They must battle for better living conditions, better jobs and a better life. This fight begins with education, acquiring the knowledge to understand the circumstances of their situation and use this knowledge to improve their lives. When people in these communities are thinking along these lines, only then will I consider that the D’Amuge Fund has made noteworthy accomplishments

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This interview was conducted by Clarkson University Junior, John Exley, contributing blogger and emerging leader interviewer for Nextvoice247.

John Exley | Netxvoice247 Blogging & Emerging Leader Contributor

THE SITUATION

Corruption. Greed. The global economy in disarray. The world we know today needs leaders, perhaps more than ever before. For the young and ambitious who aspire to careers of leadership in business, it is critical to develop leadership in college.

An article featured on Entrepreneur.com titled: “Developing leadership skills in college and early career positions” http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/186785392.html offered the great advice that “College students and early career workers can benefit from continual leadership development in order to prepare for the business world and their first foray into the challenging world of leading others.”

THE OPTION

There are two approaches to developing your leadership in college, in my opinion: join an existing club that interests you and take on a leadership position, or defy the status quo entirely and start your own club.

If you are in college, I am about to urge you to pursue the second approach and cultivate your own leadership. Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, this approach can accelerate your journey towards becoming the leader we need you to be.

THE REASONS WHY

Starting a new organization can give you some great visibility with faculty and staff at your school. And, if you start a club around something that you’re passionate about, it presents the opportunity to not only connect with students who share the same passions as you, but to lead them towards accomplishing the vision of your new club.

The skills you will hone (including delegation, communication, sales, and creating value) from starting your own club have many parallels to entrepreneurship and the fundamentals of business, and you will undoubtedly draw upon them as you enter a position of leadership in your professional career.

The lessons you learn (from how to deal with the inevitable conflict that will arise periodically, to persevering through the obstacles that face you as you attempt to build your new club, to how to motivate others) will be highly applicable in just about every career path you may choose.

HOW…? GETTING STARTED

Find a niche, preferably one that you love. What are you passionate about? It could be working out, or perhaps you are captivated by current events. It might be basketball shoes or surfing or beautiful jewelry. What isn’t represented on your campus? Start a club that fills the void.

Or, take another route. Think creatively about a difference you could make in society with the help of others. Maybe you could start a ‘volunteering club’ whose sole mission is to organize weekly community service events.

THE EXAMPLE

Meet Francis Dayamba. Francis is a civil engineering major at Clarkson University. He is a close friend of mine who created a club this year that enables him to nurture his social engineering mindset and to express his concern about the lack of development in his continent of origin, Africa.

He is the Founder of The D’AMUGE Fund, a student-run organization that targets educational institutions, particularly primary schools, in an attempt to impact the dynamics of destitute communities in Benin. During a brief two week period this past spring, his club raised $650, which Francis donated in person in the form of school supplies, merit-based scholarships, and Christmas presents to students at the School of Avossa.

Check back here tomorrow for a full interview with this emerging leader – where you can find out more about Francis, his new club, and how you can get involved in making a positive impact on communities in dire need.

THE PROCESS

It’s time to create a vision. Start recruiting a few friends with similar interests and complementary skills and offer them the opportunity to be on the founding team of your new club. Brainstorm together and determine your mission, the purpose of starting of your club. Write out your goals and what you believe it can accomplish.

Think big.

Think of a name for your club. Talk to your school’s administration to determine what you need to complete to officially establish your new club. Formalize a 1-page action plan (with your mission and vision statements, about us section, and goals) and include by-laws if your school requires you to do so. Research your school’s student government, as there may be funding opportunities for your club.

Now, the fun part.

You’re official, so start creating a buzz on campus! Get the word out. Seek out students with similar interests and sell them on your vision, convince them of the opportunities your group provides and the potential for growth and improvement your group would have if they brought their value to your club. Once you have established a core group of members, engage them by discussing your formal organizational structure. How will you organize your new club? What leadership positions? What skills and talents will you need to attract to grow? Then, elect officers and revisit your initial goals for the semester; this time, with all members brainstorming.

THE SEMESTER PLAN

Think of a cool event you could organize, a conference related to your club that you might attend, or a contest you could hold on campus to generate awareness of and interest in your new organization. Think of ways you might involve the community as well, perhaps by offering sponsorship opportunities to local businesses.

Invite a local expert or someone well known in your club’s ‘industry’ to speak. Invite faculty and staff. Create flyers and brainstorm creative ways of marketing your event and your club. Hold an event that informs, entertains, and generates buzz about the value that your group adds to the campus

This could increase your membership! Engage your new members by asking for their ideas, and empower them to lead new projects. There is so much value in taking a project from start to finish. Ask any recruiter.

THE IDEAS

Build a website for your new organization. Research if there are similar clubs at your school that you might hold events with together. Comb the Internet for similar organizations (whom you might learn from) at other colleges. Contact them! There are so many opportunities to network. Organize a community service outreach to make a difference and to further enhance your club’s brand.

Engage with people online who share your passions. Begin branding yourself as an expert in the field that you are passionate about, on the collegiate level and based on the relevant club you started at school.

THE REALITY CHECK

Worried about failure as a young leader? Don’t be. In his blog post “A Wish For Leaders” http://leadershipinc.com/a-wish-for-leaders/520, the renowned author Ty Bennett says that he wishes all aspiring leaders “could know how it feels “to run” with all your heart and lose – horribly” as he believes this to be an important element in the “experience of leadership.”

THE SUCCESSION PLAN

Don’t forget: you’re graduating sooner rather than later, right? Better plan for the future! Who will take your place of leadership? How will you transition leadership? How often? How will you ensure that the club not only survives, but prospers and continues to grow?  Remain involved as an advisor during your last semester at college and help the club transition.

After graduating, stay in touch. As the group’s founder, establish a network of alumni and reach back to the club to help out when needed. Hold networking events. Be a door to career opportunity for student members of your club. Help the group continue to live on after your departure and you will have established a legacy.

More importantly, you will have left an impact on your school, and created value and made meaning for your student body. And in the process, you will have cultivated leadership opportunities, both for yourself and for those who joined your organization.

THE LAST TIP

Are you an unemployed college student or recent graduate without a job? Check out the blog article “Graduate school for unemployed college students” http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/graduate-school-for-unemployed-college-students.html by one of the world’s most famous marketers, Seth Godin, for the secret to your future success as a leader.

YOUR HELP

What tips do you have for starting a club while on college and cultivating leadership? What critical steps did I leave out of the process for starting an organization?

listen. learn. share. repeat.™

It’s is Wednesday kids and you know what that means! YES it’s time to answer your questions. Remember we answer your questions you send in via
email or upload videos every Wednesday.  So, if you missed the opportunity to send in a question this week, you can round up
some questions. for next week 

Thanks
to many of you who have been on the on the Nextvoice247 Presents calls. We have had very
engaged groups. THIS THURSDAY 5/28/09 our call will be with the authors and thought
leaders
John Assaraf (author of The Answer and featured in The Secret) along with Kevin Hall (author of the new book Aspire!)

Details for the call:
Date: Thursday, May 28th 2009
Time: 7:00-8:00pm (CST)
402-237-2015 passcode 282361#

You can register for future calls at www.nextvoiceyouhear.com

AND ANOTHER THING - go to our homepage and get yourself registered, www.nextvoice247.com lot’s of exciting things headed your way, and the advantage goes to the registered! CONTEST to reach 1000th member and a Flip HD Cam Corder — and you never know what else may happen.

We were also very fortunate to meet Dafna Michaelson leader of the 50 in 52 Journey – 1 single mom | 50 states | 52 weeks to tell the stories of America’s people. She interviewed the folks at Nextvoice247 and we will be providing more of that information soon when the video is posted. Dafna’s goal is to build collective stories of communities of people making change and putting that change to work and that work on film. We are humbled to be a part of it.

listen. learn. share. repeat.™

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