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2012-02-14T22:26:00.001-07:00

Barron Bremner, my college wresting coach just passed away.
http://blogs.cornellcollege.edu/obit/2012/02/13/barron-bremner-1936-2012/

RIP coach.

2012-02-10T10:40:00.003-07:00

John E. Wren
2-10-24 to 11-15-79
Happy birthday, Pop.
RIP

2012-02-05T08:42:00.002-07:00

Gov Hickenlooper and a friend take a trip to Switzerland. Good use of the Gov's time and Colorado's money? http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_19891489

We're getting LOTS of action on our Colorado Caucus News Facebook Page as sister website http://www.COCaucus.org Are you going to the GOP caucus in your neighborhood next Tuesday? I hope you'll Tweet how many attend, results of Presidential straw poll, and other results on #ColoGOP, I'll be compiling results on COCaucus.org

2012-01-24T10:50:00.003-07:00

Wall Street Journal article this morning about how computers sort resumes. Forget sending a resume, for secret to finding a good job fast, listen to my webcast at http://blipcasts.com/

2012-01-17T05:51:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday, Ben Franklin! Born this day in 1706, when he was 21 years old he started meeting with a group of his friends once a week for the purpose of mutual improvement. They meet for over 30 years, and Franklin, who had very little formal education, called it "the best school."

Our Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc, which was formed with the purpose of helping local chambers of commerce, service clubs, and others to form groups similar to Franklin's original Junto, is now listed in the Wikipedia "Junto (Clubs)" article. See the link to it I just posted on our Facebook Page, http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber, and while you are there please "Like" the page (if you haven't already) and "Share" the Page with your Facebook friends as a way to help celebrate Ben's 306th! (If you'd like a print of our Small Business Chamber, Inc logo, the portrait of Ben Franklin you see here, contact the artist via the link on our website, www.SmallBizChamber.org.)

2012-01-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Starting in a new direction? Good speakers this afternoon at the Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop. (click here)

2011-12-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Antioch University Seattle Jungian Discussion Blog: Film: A Dangerous Method: Film about Carl Jung and...: The Asheville Jung Center Today is an historic event in the Jungian community. For the first time, a major film production is rel...

2011-12-23T11:08:00.003-07:00

I always enjoy getting Christmas letters from friends. So I decided to try one myself this year. I’ve asked my four adult children to each write their own recap, which you’ll see below. Mine first:

It has been a busy year. I’ve co-founded an online Colorado Almanac and Small Business Directory with Robert Schwab and Scott Rogers. Robert was a business writer for the Denver Post before serving as editor for ColoradoBiz Magazine for 7 years. Scott has an incredible background as a digital engineer, developing an Internet presence for some of the top media outlets in the country. We launch in January, to get a peek at the beta test version, see http://pioneerhq.com/

I’ve started the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc. to serve as the umbrella for the IDEA Café Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups I’ve been organizing since 1994 and 1996. The idea of the new Small Business Chamber is to cooperate with local chambers across Colorado and beyond to help them start similar groups. For more see http://www.smallbizchamber.org/

One of my motivations for forming the new Small Business Chamber is to encourage local chambers to do more to motivate their members to participate in the 2012 Colorado Caucus, what I believe is the best chance for the common person to serve in elected public office. Our wonderful Colorado caucus-assembly system for nominating to the primary ballot has been a pet project of mine since 2002 since a few of us formed Save the Caucus to fight Amendment 29 which would have killed the system. We were outspent 1400 to 1, but beat it 60% to 40%. For more see http://www.cocaucus.org/

Do you enjoy a good discussion? Since the Friday after 9/11 I’ve been helping to lead discussion groups here in Colorado. Inspired by Chris Phillips book called Socrates Café (his new book is Constitution Café, he thanks me in the acknowledgements) and I’ve now formed a group to help people who are thinking of starting a similar group, see http://meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Beginners

I’m enjoying being a member of St. Ignatius of Loyola parish where I serve as one of the Eucharistic Ministers, and a couple of weeks ago I helped for the first time with a weekend retreat for homeless men put on by the Ignatian Spirituality Project. http://www.ignatianspiritualityproject.org/

My mother Jane Wren celebrated her 86^th birthday in July. She has had some health struggles, and although she now needs some help each day she is still living at home, an inspiration for us all. Her support and encouragement are very much appreciated by me and my brothers Jay (who has gone back into business for himself) and Randy (who turned 60 this year.)

I want to share something about my wonderful “kids” with you in this letter. It seems best that you hear directly from them, so I sent them this email yesterday:

Roads just too bad to get together for lunch as we planned. Instead, would you each take a few minutes to write me a Christmas letter about your last year that I can include in my letter to my friends? Let's do it this once, if we like it we'll make it an annual tradition, OK?

Here are their emails they sent back to me to share with you:

Regan Jane Wren Hall, Aurora, CO (Married to Tim, mother of Joshua and Monica.)

Merry Christmas!

2011 has been a blessing and a challenge for us. Tim is now the owner of Mile High Technical sales. He is enjoying working for himself, but launching a business has its challenges- especially in the area of time. There never seems to be enough to get it all done! All in all he is doing well and we are excited to see his business grow in the future.

Josh is 12 and in the 7th grade. He is a very kind young man and we are very proud of him. Like many 7th graders, he does alright in school- but school work isn't his favorite. He does enjoy his social group and his many hobbies at home. He is a great artist and enjoys magic tricks and "poi" along with riding his skate board and bike.

Monica is 6 and is in kinder garden. She is our family cheerleader and has never met a stranger- everyone she meets is her friend. She loves school and riding the bus, which she has named Gus. She is the drama queen of the family and loves to sing and dance. Anything princess sends her over the moon and a recent favorite (after seeing the new Muppet Movie) is Miss Piggy.

I am taking classes at our local community college for a degree in Social Work. I took the fall semester off for a much needed breather, but I'm excited to get back to class in January. Along with school I volunteer with a program in our church called Celebrate Recovery. It has been very instrumental in my own healing and I enjoy giving back to others who attend the program.

Have a beautiful Holiday Season- Regan (Wren) Hall

Brook Elizabeth Wren Sisan, Houston, TX (Married to Ned, mother of Tyler and Jeffrey)

I love when people send out Christmas cards with what they have been up to for hte past year... and I always think... I should do that! But, then I never find the time... or the writing skills to pull it off. :(

Tyler and Jeffrey turned three in March. They started pre-school three days a week and are loving it and so is mom! They had their first onstage performance this December singing Jingle Bells in the school performance. Mom and dad were so proud! Ned is busy with the buildings and an addition of a new fixer-upper house has kept him very busy lately. He's a great coach with the boys and they have fun playing tackle football, hockey, baseball... and anything else they can manage to fit in at the end of the day. Brooke turned the big 40 this year and had a big Mexican Fiesta to start of the new decade right! We are all enjoying the wonderful snow that Colorado has giving us for a Christmas gift!

John Thomas Wren, Englewood, CO

Despite countless options, John Thomas remains single. His Dr. has recommended high levels of stress, anger, and frustration, so he is currently employed as a Bar Manager at Fox and Hound in Littleton. When not repeatedly banging his head into a wall at work, JT finds his peace on the golf course. (This explains his horrible demeanor during the snowy season). He is thankful this year for his amazing friends, terrific family, and the chance to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Allie Eliza Wren, Houston, TX

I've had a rough year but in it I'm sure I've gained some strength. And who doesn't have rough year sometimes? Coming out of it though, I work at a little community library in Houston and have even made a couple of friends:) I thank god for the grace and for my family and friends who have really helped me pull through. Besides my mom and sister and her family I am not fond of Houston. Luckily though I Have lived in some great places. Colorado for one, and Spain and Mexico, and New Mexico and Washington State. So I can't complain. I've read some great books this year, "Little, Big" the "Wicked" Series, "Cutting for Stone", stuff by David Sedaris and Augastine Burrows, Neil Gaiman, "Toughest Indian in the World" and a bunch that I've already forgotten. As far as movies go I saw "Hugo" with my nephew Josh, which was really neat. I have learned to knit and do a little bead work. I also taught Tyler and Jeffrey, Brooke's boys, the word 'weird' and I've enjoyed hearing the uses they come up with for it. I also started going to a Quaker church. In the coming year I'll work for NAMI a little bit and continue with my library job. And I may get a dog. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Liza Wren

Thanks “kids”. How many would do this for their old dad? I’m blessed to have each of you in my life.

I’ve decided to post this on my website JohnWren.com, which I’m trying to make more and more into just a personal journal, transitioning it from the role it has played in my business and political activities since 1994 or so. Next year will we all have scrapped everything else and just be on Facebook? Or will Facebook be replaced by something else in the next 12 years? We’ll see what Santa brings us all in 2012.

For now, I’m grateful for my life, my family, the work I’ve been given, and for you my friend. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God bless us all!

2011-12-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Leo Tolstoy's book Anna Karenina, begins: Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

This is obviously true, and it's the reason that the families shown on TV, in movies and on the stage are unhappy; to write about a happy family is boring.

What occurred to me this week is that just the opposite is true for business starups: Unsuccessful startups are all alike; every successful startup is successful in it's own way.

One advocate of this is Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper John in the TV series M*A*S*H. A Princeton graduate and now successful business man, he writes in his new book Make Your Own Rules: "The entrepreneurial businessman (as opposed to the corporate businessman) must engage in a creative process, rather than an administrative process. The requirements for this are questioning the constraints of the system instead of blindly obeying them, not being restrained by the straightjacket of conventional experience, and thinking outside the box. The creative process as applied to business must be unencoumbered, and you should approach it by asking not only 'why?' but also, and more important, 'why not?' This leads to solutions that are not obvious or burdened by policy, tradition, and corporate regulation."

2011-11-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me he'd just seen the new movie Melencolia. I asked him if he'd enjoyed it. He said it wasn't exactly that he'd enjoyed it, but that he was glad that he'd seen it. After seeing it myself yesterday with my brother Randy, I understand what he meant.

Life as we know it is constantly changing. I've been watching the PBS series on Nova about physics. String theory seems to keep coming up in discussions as a justification of one thing or another. Helps me to understand it is really just a philosophy, no real evidence for it.

Thanksgiving at Azura yesterday with my brother, son, and mother who is there for now was an experience. Mom didn't feel well enough to eat, so it was just the three of us for the meal.

If you're looking for a boost after the holiday, join us this afternoon for the Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops. We have great speakers today and for the next couple of weeks. This is not intended to be an every week thing for anyone, just a boost when starting in a new direction.

Socrates Cafe Beginners Group at 4 p.m. each Friday after the Denver IDEA Cafe, same place, Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. We pick a topic, whoever suggested the topic speaks to it, then two others are chosen by lot to speak for 3 minutes. Then we take turns asking each other questions before everyone making a brief final comment about the topic. It's a lot of fun if you enjoy a good discussion.

I'm experimenting with this blog. More and more all business posts will be on http://www.SmallBizChamber.org

2011-11-22T07:12:00.001-07:00

In church bulletin: "Don't let worry kill you - let the church help."

I’m going to be on Corky Kyle’s radio show (click here to listen online) again this afternoon (Tuesday, Nov 22, 4 to 5 p.m.) please call with your questions or comments about grassroots politics or business.

We still need a few more beta testers for our new PioneerHQ.com (click here), our new Colorado Almanac and Small Business Directory. Our intention is help strengthen the small business community in Colorado, we plan on a formal kick-off in December, list your business or organization now to benefit from the publicity we expect and for the opportunity to make money sharing it with your online friends.

Your Small Business Chamber of Commerce http://www.SmallBizChamber.org (click here) is cooperating with local chambers of commerce across Colorado and beyond to encourage the formation of and participation in IDEA Café Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups.

Two ways to charge your battery Black Friday (Nov 25), to get a good start on your post-Thanksgiving finish for 2011: 2 p.m. Denver IDEA Café Startup Workshop (click here)--we share startup experience and brainstorm; 4 p.m. Socrates Café Beginners Group (click here)--we pick a topic, share our thoughts, and take turns asking each other questions. Both at Panera Bread, 13^th & Grant here in Denver near the Capitol, join us for either or both.

The first time you quit, it's hard. The second time, it gets easier. The third time, you don't even have to think about it. -Paul "Bear" Bryant, football coach.

2011-11-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Great write up about our speaker tomorrow (Friday, Nov 18) at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop in new online journal foucused on startup, see http://tekhne.co/2050/its-hard-out-here-for-a-biomed-entrepreneur/

I've just posted thoughts about entrepreneurship education from Socratic Arts, new Harvard Tech Meetup, idea for entrepreneur or startup poetry, and an upcoming TV show about the psychology behind why Israel is such a big source successful innovators, your comments very welcome at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

Would you volunteer to help start a monthly IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop for your local chamber of commerce? Let me know if you'd be interested after you check out http://www.SmallBizChamber.org and attend one of the Friday Denver IDEA Cafe sessions that I personally lead each week.

As you can see, I'm continuing to experiment with this blog, trying to find the most helpful way to communicate with you each week. Your feedback is always appreciated, even if the suggestions don't always lead to immediate change. Thanks for any thoughts you'd care to share here or via email to John@JohnWren.com

2011-11-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

For John Edgar Wren, who passed on about this time of the day, the evening of November 15, 1979. This poem is from my sister-in-law Mary's funeral program:

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918

We miss you, Pop.

2011-11-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

This worldwide promotion of entrepreneurship is in it's 4th year, it's never really caught on here in Colorado for some reason.

We are holding two special IDEA Cafes to help celebrate, see link on http://www.SmallBizChamber.org

Please share this with your Denver friends who have had a bump loosing a job or a bright idea, they might find the free meeting helpful.

2011-11-07T15:50:00.001-07:00

This is another test. Do you like this style for my blog? Does what I'm writing about here make you want to come back? Any feedback via email to John@JohnWren.com would be very, very much appreciated.

It was a beautiful day here in Denver yesterday. It was a great day for a Sunday walk around Washington Park's Smith Lake.

The trees are beautiful, the snow storm we had earlier in the week didn't take the leaves off, so as you can see they were beautiful against the clear blue sky.

Another snow storm is expected tonight, but fair weather is expected again by Friday. If you don't like the weather here in Colorado just wait a day or two, unlike Kansas and Iowa where I've also lived. When storms set in there it just stays winter until the spring thaw. Tis a privilege to live in Colorado.

My 86 year old mother, Martha Jane Wren, was in the hospital. Tutu, as she likes her grand kids to call her, is getting treated for a back problem she's been suffering with, stenosis and scoliosis.

Dr. West, the neurosurgeon she connected with there in the hospital, comes very highly rated. He's treating her with a steroid injection she received today.

Growing older is not for sissies. When my kids were little and they would get a bump I'd say, "it's lucky you are tough. That's sure true for my mom right now.

Too much information? My iPhone makes it easy to "check in" when I go to church, so that's what I've doing, along with a picture like this one.

These posts show up on Facebook. My friend Jane made a comment that made me wonder if this is maybe just a little bit too much about me. What do you think?

Are you and I Facebook friends yet? If not, send me an invitation, OK? My Facebook address is http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren Do you use Facebook much? I've made it a habit to post there several times a day. Seems to me it helps me remember what happened for the day.

The new, free Denver Socrates Cafe Beginners Group has gotten off to a good start with two very good sessions. I'm going to chair it another time or two, and then we will start rotating leadership. We pick a topic at the meeting, so no preparation is required. You can participate in the discussion or just listen in. Details and optional RSVP is at http://meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Beginners.

Would anyone be interested in starting a similar Socrates Cafe Beginners Group meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Church on Thursdays, right before the 7 p.m. meeting? I think it would be a good way to attract new members for that meeting, which may already be benefiting from our Friday group.

I lead the Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop for the Small Business Chamber each Friday. We invite speakers to share their startup experience and we brainstorm.

The hope is that this will be a model group for local chambers across Colorado and beyond to start similar groups.

If we are successful, we will lower the unemployment rate! :) For more information about what we are doing, see http://www.SmallBizChamber.org. Let me know if you'd be willing to start a meeting once a month in cooperation with your local chamber. We also have a Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

Your feedback about this style of blog post would be very much appreciated. Do you like the pictures? What do you think about mixing the personal info with the business stuff? If you like what I've done or if you hate it, your feedback would be very much appreciated. If you say something nice, I may quote you unless you prefer that I don't. Email me at John@JohnWren.com

If you are thinking about going back to graduate school to study entrepreneurship, the University of Denver would like your opinions about what you'd like in a program. Please take a few minutes and respond to the survey I link to in the poll below in the post I made over the weekend, where you can also see my suggestions for life-long learning:

2011-11-06T03:25:00.002-07:00

I just got this email from the University of Denver. They are gathering information from alumni and others about a new program on entrepreneurship they are considering:

We want your input on the MS of Entrepreneurship coming to Daniels!

Hello everyone,

On behalf of the management department at Daniels, I am conducting a survey (click here) on the potential of a Master of Science of Entrepreneurship being offered at Daniels starting Winter 2013.

Please take a second to take this super quick survey and help us get this program off the ground!

Every participant has the chance to win a $25 gift card to Starbucks by random drawing!!

Thank you!!

This is the comment that I sent in response:

John S. Wren, MBA+ • I started to take the survey, but it seems to be addressed to people who are interested in possibly enrolling in the new program.

I suggest that DU consult with Dr. Amar Bhide about this new program. He is the author of The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses, which the publisher of Inc Magazine called the most important book ever written about startup. He spent a day on the DU campus a couple of years ago. http://bhide.net

Dr. Bhide told me at the time of his visit that he was researching the transfer of skill and knowledge in this area, what actually seems to increase the likelihood of a successful startup.

You might also want to take a look at my little book on startup, which Dr. Bhide has endorsed. It's available on Amazon, or you can get a copy of the free text file via the link on http://www.JohnWren.com

Also, I hold a free startup workshop each Friday and I organize and facilitate peer advisory groups called Franklin Circles. I've recently formed the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc to cooperate with local chambers to start similar groups. Those involved with starting this new program at DU might find it helpful to attend one of the sessions, you can find more about them at http://www.SmallBizChamber.org

2011-10-25T15:01:00.000-06:00

1. Interesting column in the Denver Post yesterday about the value of a liberal arts education written by the new President of Colorado College (click here) Lots of follow up discussion in the comments, what do you think?

Of course lots of very successful people do very well with little or no formal "higher" education. From Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie, many, many successful people have made it without a college degree. But none of them made it without LIFE LONG LEARNING. Today as never before school is optional, but life long learning is mandatory.

2. One way to get a learning boost when you need it most is to attend an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop. For details, and more about the interesting speaker who we have with us this week see http://www.SmallBizChamber.org

3. Would you help us supercharge the Facebook Page for your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce? Please "Like" it if you haven't already and right now "Share" it with your friends. And please post links to interesting news and information about startup and small business. Thanks! See http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

4. Do you want to connect with other Colorado businesses? Another way Robert Schwab, former editor of ColoradoBiz Magazine, Scott Rodgers, who has build websites for some of the leading radion and TV stations, and myself are trying to build the small business community across Colorado is with the new online Colorado Almanac and Small Business Directory, PioneerHQ.com (click here.) Before we officially launch in December, Sharon Russell and Peter Roberts are contacting local chambers across the state to let them know about our plans. Right now you can get a free listing for your business in our directory, click the above link and follow the directions on the site.

5. If you enjoy good discussion on important topics with a diverse group of interesting people, join us some Friday afternoon for the new Denver Socrates Cafe Beginners Group (click here.) It's at 4 p.m. right after the Denver IDEA Cafe at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant.

6. There are a couple of big chamber annual events here in the metro-Denver area this week, with the big snow storm being forecast it will be interesting to see how well they are attended. Here's an idea for next year: combine efforts!

7. I'm slowly changing the focus here on JohnWren.com, I'll be posting a letter like this here for you once a week or so, then emailing my many good friends to let them know what I've done and I'll also post a link on Facebook and Twitter. Your feedback is always welcome, especially when it is posted as a comment here on JohnWren.com

Contact me with your email or phone call if I may be of service to you or anyone you know.

This life is short, let's get started!

John

2011-10-18T16:06:00.000-06:00

Chris Daniels will be with us this Friday (Oct 21) at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop to share how he started his career in music. Should be very interesting, more at http://www.SmallBizChamber.org Free.

2011-10-14T07:21:00.000-06:00

You are invited too.

I just emailed this release to my media list:

PLEASE FORWARD

Note: This release will be distributed at the Occupy Denver camp on Broadway in front of the Colorado Capitol by John Wren at 1 p.m. today (Fri, Oct 14). Occupy Denver participants have also been invited on Twitter @IDEACafe.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2011

Contact: John Wren (303)861-1447

Today Hunter Lovins to share startup experience with Denver IDEA Cafe.

Since 1994, free help for people starting a new career, project, campaign or new business.

DENVER—The Small Business Chamber of Commerce's free Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop meets from 2 to 3:30 p.m. each Friday at Panera Bread, 13^th and Grant in Denver. Speakers and brainstorming. For speaker this Friday and more information see

http://www.SmallBizChamber.org or call (303)861-1447.

Today, Oct 14: Hunter Lovins http://NatCapSolutions.org on "My startup experience."

Oct 21: Chuck Morris, http://AEGLive.com on "How I started my career as a concert promoter."

Oct 28: Social media consultant and entrepreneur John Leavy http://JohnLeavy.com on "How I used social media to start my business of showing others how to do the same thing."

The Denver IDEA Cafe has met since 1994 to help people who are starting in a new direction by sharing experience and brainstorming. The new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce has been formed to help local chambers across Colorado and beyond to form similar groups. IDEA is an acronym for: I= Inspiration or Identify the Problem; D= Develop Alternatives; E= Evaluate the Alternatives; and A= take Action. The meeting is free and open to anyone who is starting a new career, a new campaign or project, or a new business.

###

John S. Wren, MBA+ http://www.JohnWren.com or http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren is the founder of the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce http://www.SmallBizChamber or http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber Contact Wren at (720)495-4949 or John@JohnWren.com

Beta testers wanted for new Colorado Almanac & Small Business Directory. Get a free directory listing at http://PioneerHQ.com

2011-10-10T07:14:00.002-06:00

Paul Krugman's column in the New York Times today wonders why the rich object to the Occupy Wall Street movement, it seems to be growing here in Denver the Denver Post reports, in light of the 1%'s recent glorification of the Tea Party.

One big difference could be that the Occupy Wall Street is being orchestrated by the White House. If that turns out to be the case, I expect Pres. Obama will do a Lyndon Johnson and announce that he's decided to follow the advice of his hometown newspaper and not run for reelection.

Still, there is a spirt that the two movements share. Jimmy Carter told Charley Rose on his show recently that the spirit of the Tea Party is what got him elected as President.

Those who just want to just make noise will march with the various Occupy campers and their Tea Party counterparts. Those who want to make a real difference here in Colorado will start connecting with their neighbors getting ready for the 2012 Colorado Caucuses, for more about it and how you can get involved see http://www.COCaucus.org

Also in the Denver Post online this morning, a link to their business calendar which lists the Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop. We have some very interesting speakers coming up in the next couple of weeks, hope you'll join us if you are starting in a new direction with your work.

2011-10-08T09:35:00.000-06:00

It's finally turning into fall here in Denver, cold, cloudy morning here now. Before I eat my late Saturday breakfast at Charlie Brown's (they fix great biscuits and gravy, but only on the weekends) here are a few things I wanted to share with you:

Hunter Lovins will be with us at the Denver IDEA Cafe next Friday (Oct 14). Should be a great meeting. Join us yourself if you are headed in a new direction with your work, starting a new career, a new project or campaign, or even starting a new business. And please let your friends know about it who are headed in a new direction, OK? It's free and open to everyone, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming.

This is the 100th anniversary of our wonderful Colorado Caucuses, the best chance for the common person to get elected to public office. Should be one of the most interesting yet. See why I say that, and get info about how you can participated at my new post on www.COCaucus.org

I'm going to see To Kill a Mocking Bird this afternoon at the DCPA with my daughter Regan. To see the details about the play, and to see what I think of the current problems with the Colorado Symphony, check out my www.DenverWhenWhere.com

A friend told me yesterday that this blog is too scattered, he finds in hard to engage because I cover too many things. What do you think? Was the last minute or so you spent here worth your time?

I'm going to post here briefly each day, only send out an email reminder to you once a week or so. If you want off the email list, just let me know when you next get one.

I hope you have a great weekend!

2011-10-07T06:00:00.005-06:00

If Obama knew about the movement that has suddenly grabbed the headlines before it started and encouraged it in any way, it will be his Watergate, and he will be forced out of office eventually.

Occupy Wall Street protests are spreading across the United States. According to NewsMax and Rush Limbaugh, the movement is being encouraged by the Obama campaign.

My friend Robert Schwab sees the good in the movement. "Have at it kids. It's your time." I'm not so sure. Seems to me those who don't have jobs might be better off using their time in other ways, maybe starting a business in a garage, like Apple, HP, Walt Disney, and so many other businesses have been started in the past, documented in a great article I just posted on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

When I left Cornell College my sophomore year in 1967, I wrote a letter to the school paper explaining that one reason was the lack of intellectual freedom on the campus. When I suggested a demonstration to my fraternity on one of the day's hot topics they declined because of the fear of retribution from professors. Told of what had happened, my faculty advisor said, "That's the problem with small schools like this, no one gets pushed off the sidewalk."

My protest took the form of taking a full time job my last two years of college at a different school.

How would the world be different today if Steve Jobs had channeled his energy into political protests in 1976 rather than going to work in the garage where Apple was born?

Anyone who wants to protest by finding a good job fast or starting a new business is invited to join us this afternoon (Fri, Oct 7) or any Friday afternoon for the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop. It's free and open to everyone, we just ask that you share your startup experience (we've all started something) and that you bring your brain for the brainstorming. For more see the link on the Small Business Chamber's Facebook Page, http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

Please share this with your friends who might find a boost helpful at the end of a hard week. I'm going to stop by the Occupy Denver camp out in front of the Colorado Capitol at 1 p.m. to invite them to attend.

2011-10-06T11:32:00.000-06:00

As you can see from the posts below over the last couple of weeks, I’m gradually making this more personal.

My plan is to post here once a week or so things that are interesting to me and that seem worth sharing with you.

Each day I’ll be posting on Facebook, if we aren’t Facebook friends yet and you’d like to stay in touch that way, too, invite me at http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

More and more, my work life is about helping to start new IDEA Café Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups in cooperation with local chamber of commerce and alumni groups, service clubs, and neighborhood associations.

To facilitate this process, I’ve organized the new Small Business Chamber of Commerce. I’m going to be forming a board of directors in the next few weeks, please let me know if you might be interested in serving. Each week or so I’ll post an update about our work on our website http://www.SmallBizChamber.org and several times a week I post on our Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

My other passion is the statewide small business community Robert Schwab, Scott Rodgers and myself are trying to precipitate with our new online Colorado Almanac & Small Business Directory. Our purpose is to encourage startup and small business via local chambers and local community newspapers. We plan on launching this in the next couple of weeks, and we still need beta testers. If you haven’t taken a free listing for your business, please do so right now, while it’s on your mind, at http://PioneerHQ.com

Finally, the First Friday of each month is now an “Alumni” or “Reunion” meeting for our Denver IDEA Café Startup Workshop. Hope you’ll join us tomorrow or any First Friday to share for 2 or 3 minutes about your startup experience. No RSVP is required, walk ins are welcome at Panera Bread, 13^th & Grant starting at 2 p.m. For more info see the link on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber or http://www.SmallBizChamber.org

How may I be of service to you?

2011-09-27T11:01:00.000-06:00

The Denver Post editorial this morning asks the question, can the Colorado Symphony make it? See my comment and link to the editorial on my "test" blog, Denver When & Where at http://www.DenverWhenWhere.com (Have an event you'd like me to announce there and then cover in person? Contact me for the details.)

2011-09-20T11:07:00.001-06:00

2305 S. Jackson Street, Denver, CO

After moving once in Loveland, then to Elm Street here in Denver where my brother Randy was born, and then to Hoffman Heights in Aurora, on Halloween, 1954 we moved into this house that mom and dad had built. I still remember being on one of our Sunday drives and dad going to talk to Mr. Peck on the corner to talk about buying the vacant lot. We lived here until my brother Jay was born, when we moved a couple of block to our Monroe St. home.

A couple of years after moving into the Jackson Street home, Dad built his final warehouse at 6265 E. Evans. The building still exists, but it has been converted to retails stores.

2011-09-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

558 W 5th, Loveland CO

Labor Day, 1949 my parents, John and Jane Wren, moved into this house from Amarillo, Texas with me.

Mom and I visited the house again yesterday, it's improved considerably over the last 62 years in part because it is now part of an historic district.

It's made me wonder what is the difference between starting a business today and what it was like then, in those pre-Small Business Adminstration days.

Dad had bought a new car right after WWII and "flipped" it, then used the profit to build a new house which they sold to use as capital for the new business they started here in Colorado.

Dad was working for West Texas Wholesale company in Amarillo, selling non-food items to grocery stores in the Panhandle. A visit to my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Lillian had created the thought that they could do the same thing here in Colorado on their own, since Derby Market, a store in Loveland, wasn't stocking toothpaste, Rite dye, and the other items that were carried by West Texas.

I'll be forever grateful dad never had the "help" of a SCORE or SBA councilor. I'm sure they would have told him he was crazy for thinking he could make it on his own.

2011-08-31T16:41:00.000-06:00

Ever since I was in Psychology 101 and we talked about the impact of large organizations on the individual, I've been passionate about startup and small businesses.

My life and that of my family has been much, much better because my dad took the risk to start a business. Preserving the opportunity to do this same thing for others has been my primary motivation for most of what I've done in my career.

Now I'm putting my efforts under the umberella of the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc. to cooperate with local chambers of commerce across Colorado and possibly beyond to provide IDEA Cafe type startup workshops and Franklin Circle type peer advisory groups to their members.

If you'd like to know more about how I can help you get and IDEA Cafe and/or a Franklin Circle started, please give me a call. If you want to start a Franklin Circle with your friends and neighbors that is free to those who attend, I'll help you for free.

Don Mares is with us at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe this Friday (Sept 2), for more see http://www.SBCcBlog.com

We are making progress with the new online Colorado Almanac & Small Business Directory http://PioneerHQ.com. Our mission is to help strengthen the small business community in Colorado, again in cooperation with local chambers of commerce, not in competition with them. Take a look, and please take a free listing for your business. (Take a look at our Small Business Chamber of Commerce listing while you are there, we are listed under "Non-Profits.)

A few of us met for the first time to discuss Chris Phillips's book Socrates Cafe and those meetings led to what we now call Denver Socrates Cafe. The original group still meets each Friday at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant, and there is now a 2nd group that meets each Thursday at Trinity Church, 19th & Broadway, both here in Denver. That first meeting was held the Friday after 9/11, so we are coming up on our 10th aniversary. More info and optional RSVP for the Thursday night meeting at http://meetup.com/Denver-Socrates-Cafe

Are you and I Facebook friends? I post something there nearly every day that I think my friends might find interesting. See http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren and also http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber.

2011-08-22T09:42:00.000-06:00

Want to find a good job fast? Listen to my free podcast (scroll down, on left side of this page, then scroll down to Episode 5) then call me if you want my free help.

Great group of people will be at Denver IDEA Cafe this Friday for our 2nd monthly "Reunion" with previous speakers and attendees encouraged to attend. If you want seat at the brainstorming table, be one of the first to RSVP, or just show up. 2 p.m., Friday (Aug 26), at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. Free, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming. Please share with any of your friends who might find the meeting helpful. More info and optional RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe or call me at (303)861-1447.

2011-08-17T11:42:00.000-06:00

One of the leading business journalists in the country, Robert Schwab, one of the top experts in the country on Internet marketing, Scott Rodgers, and myself are just about to launch a new online publication targeted to Colorado business owners and entrepreneurs.

Our goal is to eventually become the Colorado version of the Texas Almanac (click here.)

Take advantage of the publicity we expect this fall to help get the word out about what you are doing, by taking a free listing for your business. It only takes a few seconds, it will probably be the highest ROI investment of your time! And it will really help us as we get started. Thanks!

See more about what we are doing in these first days of the project and get your free listing, take a look now at PioneerHQ.com (click here.)

2011-08-13T22:33:00.000-06:00

I just realized no posts here on this blog for a couple of weeks. Two reasons.

First, I'm focused on trying to get our new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce started.

Second, I'm working with Robert Schwab and Scott Rodgers to get our new online Colorado Almanac & Small Business Directory started. Hope you'll go there and get your free listing for you and your business if you haven't already.

Also, I'm changing how I'm thinking about this blog. Tried doing a daily 15-minute TV show. That went well. NOT. But I'm going to start writing here once a week or so. We'll see...

Finally, my daughters and grandsons from Houston have been here. It has been GREAT to see them. This is a picture of everyone up in Breckenridge. To see who is who, take a look at it on Facebook and check out the tags, go to http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

2011-07-17T16:48:00.001-06:00

Internet expert and entrepreneur Dave Taylor (photo to left) will be with us at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop next Friday.

Facebook has "New" groups, which put a hitch in the git along for creating a Facebook announcement, 800 members have disappeared. I wonder if they will give me a refund for the members who joined as a result of a Facebook ad.

But the "New" group is now up, you can get a link to the event on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber or if you'd prefer RSVP on our Meetup site, see http://Meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe.

I'll be talking about Facebook and a couple of new books on the Small Business Chamber's new Tuesday Morning Show, it's just 15-minutes and you can watch it live or watch the recorded version anytime over the next week or show. See the links at http://www.SBCcBlog.com

We need one more person for the new Franklin Circle that's forming for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creative managers, let me know if you might be interested and I'll share the details. Also let me know if you'd like my help forming a Franklin Circle with your friends. Call me, or join us any Friday right after the Denver IDEA Cafe for the free Franklin Circle information session.

How may I be of service to you?

2011-07-15T11:16:00.000-06:00

I just verified with Susan that Nigel Clayton (in picture to the left) will be with us this afternoon at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe (click here for more info and optional RSVP.) The meeting is free and open to everyone who is starting in a new direction with their career, starting a new project or campaign, or starting a new business. It's a learning group, not a networking group. This should be a great meeting, join us if you're starting something new, and please let any of your friends who might like a boost at the end of a hard week know about it.

Facebook is changing the way they do Groups, so this may be the last time you'll be getting a Facebook Denver IDEA Cafe reminder.

Because of the Facebook Group change in policy, I'm (that's me, John Wren, in the picture to the right), I'm now going to start posting a message to you here each Monday that will include information about the Small Business Chamber and our Denver IDEA Cafe, our South Metro IDEA Cafe, our Boulder IDEA Cafe, and any other SBCC activities that might be of interest to you.

I'll be posting here each Monday morning, so just check back. If you'd like an email reminder about the post, just enter your email address in the "subscribe" form to the left.

Finally, Robert Schwab, Scott Rodgers, and myself are looking for a few beta testers for our new PioneerHQ.com Colorado Business Almanac and Small Business Directory. Take advantage of the current free listing offer, and we'll get more information about how we can help you in other ways to connect with good prospects for your business.

The mission of the Small Business Chamber and all that I'm doing now is to help local chambers of commerce be even more useful to people who want to start new businesses, and to strengthen the voice of their small business members. If you'd like to help, give me your email address here, and then "Like" our Facebook Page at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

This life is short, let's get started!

2011-07-07T07:21:00.000-06:00

Today's the birthday of sliced bread, see the post I just made on Facebook, and while you are there invite me to be your Facebook friend if we aren't already connected that way: http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

I've started making an online video broadcast each morning for your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce. My hope is that it will become an important tool in the effort to cooperate with local chambers to start IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups, Tune in Monday thru Friday at 10:30 a.m. MDT using the link on http://www.SBCcBlog.com

How may I be of service to you?

2011-06-25T11:41:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the feedback on the "Connect to Win" pamphlet I'm going to start giving away at Small Business Chamber sponsored meetings of our IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop (see draft below.) I'd post the radically revised draft here again, but it just doen't lend itself to a Facebook post. Let me know if you'd like a copy and I'll snail mail it to you, or just get one from me the next time I see you.

I'm the speaker next Friday at the Denver IDEA Cafe (click here). Hope you'll join us. I'm going to share my own startup experience, with the focus on our new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce, how it grew out of the IDEA Cafe and Franklin Circles, what we hope to do with it in the future. We're going to be forming a board of directors, let me know of anyone who might be interested. You? :)

2011-06-13T22:51:00.000-06:00

June 10, 2011 Draft

THIS IS A TEST. The mission of your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce is to strengthen the grassroots in business and politics. The final version of this, perhaps expanded into a book, will become the handbook for your Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Your feedback on this would be very much appreciated. Contact me at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com. Thanks! John

Connect to Win:
How to teach, learn, and serve for fun and profit!
Don’t just network, connect!

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” President Theodore Roosevelt

Since the fall of 1727 when young Ben Franklin first met with a group of friends, Americans have been having a conversation to help us each answer the question: What’s my next step towards the first day on my next new job or with my next new client?

Before we start, we recover. In football recovery is getting back up, players are taught to hit and recover. If we are totally stuck and don’t know where to go for help with some big problem, especially if we have a medical problem and no doctor to call, we call 211, or 911 if it is an emergency. In Denver, help is just a phone call away when we really want to get back on our feet.

Longer term, we get more rest and exercise, eat better, read more, take more time for prayer and meditation, and when needed we take an hour or a day or longer to recharge.

Once on our feet (which might be now for you, or it may take a while), we make four considerations and perhaps write a simple one-page game plan. Then we share our plan to clarify our own thinking as we either A) Share this with a good friend with a suggestion that we help each other; or if we need more help we B) Ask 5 close friends to be supporters and include the elements of a WRAP plan in what we share. http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com/

1. Join. None of us can do much in isolation. We each connect and reconnect with institutions that are important to us. We completely commit ourselves to our church, temple, or synagogue and/or our 12-step recovery program. We join or become more active in a service club, chamber of commerce, trade association, or other group that is important to us. We go back to school or become more active in our alumni group. We join or start a peer advisory group or book discussion group. We make amends and restore good relations as best we can with our family. We marry well and/or create a healthy community. “First we make our institutions, and then our institutions make us.” Robert Hutchins

2. Work. We connect with good work that allows us to be good neighbors and citizens. Business owners and managers often recruit an intern, an assistant, or a professional who will create free time. Those who are unemployed or underemployed in a job that makes life all business look for an opportunity to become that assistant or some other good job.

Or we start our own business. Thousands of people have found startup help since 1994 at an IDEA Café Startup Workshop, now sponsored by the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce, where free help is also offered to help you start or join a Franklin Circle peer advisory/ self-directed learning group.

3. Participate. As good citizens we connect with our community. We join our neighborhood association, and we run for elected public office or just help other good people get elected. Google the political party of your choice and your ZIP code, make a phone call, and volunteer to help in your neighborhood. Then start a neighborhood Franklin Circle to share what you’ve done and encourage others to do the same. By the next election you’ll be able to make a real difference.

4. Grow. We connect with this great American conversation as life-long learners, adults learn best by being teachers. Many have found our local library to be a great resource for this.

As we grow we build on our strengths. Mickey Mantle didn’t stay at short stop. Some have found it helpful to take the free strength finder quiz on www.AuthenticHappiness.com. Others just ask a close friend, sponsor, mentor, CPA, attorney, or banker who knows us well for his or her frank assessment. Or we just take an honest look at our self: each evening for a week or more, we make a list of what went well for during that day (at least 3 things), and then analyze why they went well; once recognized, these strengths become our foundation for positive growth.

These words are the result of our shared experience with getting knocked down, stretching back to 1727 and now, we hope, from you, your feedback would be very much appreciated. We are in the process of expanding this into a handbook for the Small Business Chamber, and we are particularly interested in any good result you achieve as you advance towards your American Dream.

"The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." The first usage of the term “The American Dream,” in James Truslow Adams’s, The Epic of America, 1931

Secretary for this Small Business Chamber of Commerce Code/Handbook project is John S. Wren, MBA+ “I’m a recovering MBA. Much of what I learned in graduate business school I’ve had to overcome to be truly helpful to people starting in a new direction.” Wren is a Denver resident and long-time community activist, business consultant, and adult educator. He is the founder of the Small Business Chamber of Commerce. For more contact him at John@JohnWren.com, (303)861-1447 or http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren Your comments, suggestions and questions are encouraged.

John says to you: “Since 1727 people have found starting or joining a Franklin Circle helpful, it helped Ben Franklin, maybe it can help you, too. Contact me for more information about the group that is forming here now, sponsored by the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce. And please send me your suggestions for making this more helpful to others.”

Motto of the Small Business Chamber of Commerce:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rule

2011-06-13T17:25:00.002-06:00

Is the abortion entrepreneur Warren Hern behind Stephen Singular’s (to the far left, with Bruce Goldberg who moderated today) new book? That’s the impression I got from their joint appearance at the Denver Press Club today, with Hern sitting on the front row of the small gathering, some of whom told me they’d been personally invited by Hern.

I asked both Singular and Hern about the financial arrangements for the book. Both dodged my question. Hern told me that it was a good question, and then he referred me to his website where he said I’d see all the complicated details that he just didn’t have time to explain. I just looked and can’t find anything about his connection with Singular.

In 1987 Stephen Singular published his first book (“writing it was the best (business?) decision I ever made” he told us today), it was Talked to Death, about Denver talk show host, Alan Berg. On his website Singular says that first book “described how nine, obviously-fanatical neo-Nazis plotted to kill Berg and launch a white power revolution, designed to rid America of minorities.”

Singular has just written this new book because, he continues on his website, ”for the past decade, I’ve wanted to revisit this subject because highly disturbing pieces of the mindset -- the anger, fear, blame, hatred, and absolutist thinking -- of those who assassinated Berg have gradually crept from the fringes of our society into the American mainstream. They’ve become normalized inside major religions, the corporate media, and political leaders at the highest levels of our society.”

Singular’s new book is called The Wichita Divide. It’s about all these problems Singular sees with these major religions, the corporate media, and political leaders, the result, as Singular sees it, of the neo-Nazis who have taken over the country. He tells this through the dramatic device of the story of the misguided soul that killed Dr. George Tiller, a shooting triggered by the failed efforts of the Kansas Attorney General to stop Tiller from killing unborn babies. Incredibly (how could Singular have the nerve to put out this book with out it?) Dr. Tiller’s widow would not talk with Singular, and Singular was anything but even handed in his handling of this explosive issue that divides so much of America.

This book seems to be all heat and no light on the direct issue of concern to me and I’d guess to most people, abortion. About all Singular had to say about abortion was that a lot of women get in trouble, we should leave it up to medical doctors to decide what to do since they have had the training.

Lots of legislation is on the horizon to protect the unborn, Singular says it’s the result of Tiller’s death. The abortion issue is perhaps the most difficult issue faced by this country since the Civil War. It doesn’t sound like there was anything in this new book that will help resolve it.

In fact, it seems to me that No Labels www.NoLabels.org should throw a yellow flag on this obvious attempt to demonize a legitimate point of view.

2011-05-27T09:04:00.000-06:00

Did you notice the new feature on this site? Just input your email address to the left and I'll send you an email each time I post something here.

I just sent out this email to my list of a few thousand friends. I'll post the highlights of their (and your) feedback to me the first of next week:

ps We have a GREAT speaker at the Denver IDEA Café this afternoon (Fri, May 27), details are on the link at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

Dear friend (if you aren’t, sorry! Let me know, I’ll take you off this list),

I’m making a few changes, thought you’d be interested.

First, I’m about to announce my involvement in a new online publication. It will change the way you and I communicate in several ways. You’ll understand when I email you the announcement next week, if everything goes as planned.

Second, in anticipation of the new online publication, I’m making a couple of immediate changes in the way I communicate with you. Your feedback on these changes would be very helpful. Whether you like the changes or see where I’m off base, please send me your email ASAP. Unless you ask me to keep what you share with me confidential, I’ll post highlights from your comments the first of next week on JohnWren.com. Here are the changes, what do you think?

1) I’m going to rely more and more on Facebook to communicate with you. Looks to me like it will eventually eliminate most email for most of us. If you and I aren’t Facebook friends yet, please invite me, OK? I post there several times each day. http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

2) I’m going to start posting more often on my blog, sharing useful information with you in an interesting way. The focus will be on my personal and business life. If you want, I’ll email you each time I post something there. See http://www.JohnWren.com

3) Everything having to do with your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce, our IDEA Café Startup Workshops, our Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups, and our monthly Big Event, will be posted on http://SmallBusinessChamberOfCommerce.blogspot.com Again, if you want an email when something new is posted there, let me know on the site the next time you visit there.

An impersonal “blast” email like this will go out only once a month or so, and if you’d rather not receive these at all, you’d be doing us both a favor my letting me know now. Just return this with “cancel” and I’ll take you off the list.

How does this compare with how you are thinking about communications with people you care about using the Internet? Again, I’m very interested in your comments. I’ll post highlights on JohnWren.com in the next few days unless you ask me to keep what you say confidential.

Also, how do you like my idea of putting the ps, the part of the letter most people read first in snail mail, at the top of this email?

Finally, please let me know if you’d like to discuss how I may be of service to you. All of the work I do is strictly confidential; no one will know we are working together unless you tell them. For more about how I can help you, see www.JohnWren.com, then give me a phone call.

Sincerely,

John

John S. Wren, MBA+
www.JohnWren.com
Start now!
Founder, Your New, Free Small Business Chamber of Commerce
http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber
(303)861-1447 cell (720)495-4949
JohnSWren@aol.com or John@JohnWren.com

2011-05-26T00:17:00.000-06:00

I just read an inspirational blog post from a friend. As a result of his post I get inspired to start writing a personal message here from time to time, the way I used this blog when I first started posting years and years ago.

But I'm just too tired to say much tonight. Spent the evening with my grandchildren while my wonderful daughter Regan and my extraordinary son-in-law Tim celebrated their 15th wedding aniversary.

Small Business Chamber business, who's speaking at the Denver IDEA Cafe, etc. is at http://smallbusinesschamberofcommerce.blogspot.com/, there is no need to clutter up this page, except to let you know when something new has been posted there.

It's hard to know how to best communicate. I post a lot on Facebook, maybe too much. But some friends never see Facebook. I have friends who won't read anything online except personal messages in an email.

How do you do it? Blog? Facebook? Twitter? Emails? None of the above. Guess you must be online some, or you wouldn't be reading this.

Ralph Waldo Emerson encouraged his friend Henry to keep a journal. Would they both be bloggers today? How about Ben Franklin? What would he be doing with modern technology?

More tomorrow. Thanks for reading this. Any comments would be much appreciated. If this became a real conversation I'd be encouraged to continue.

2011-05-03T17:26:00.001-06:00

I just sent out this media release about upcoming Denver IDEA Cafe speakers:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2011

Contact: John Wren (303)861-1447

Free Startup Workshop Announces Upcoming Speakers.
Since 1994, free help for people starting a new career, project, campaign or new business.

DENVER—The Small Business Chamber of Commerce's free Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop meets from 2 to 3:30 p.m. each Friday (except for some holiday weekends) at Panera Bread, 13th and Grant in Denver. Speakers and brainstorming. Other IDEA Cafes are starting in cooperation with local chambers of commerce. For speaker this Friday and more information see http://www.sbccblog.com/ or call (303)861-1447.

May 6, Speaking on the topic, "my startup experience," will be Mary Winter http://www.denverpost.com/, Dave Pearson http://www.pearsonpetservices.com/.

May 13, "How I started my career and my dental practice," will be the topic of Dr. Charles Barotz http://www.barotzdental.com/

May 20, Greg Moore, Editor http://www.denverpost.com/, on "Startup experience from my career in journalism."

Since 1994, the Denver IDEA Cafe has been helping people who are starting in a new direction by providing a free forum where successful people share their startup experience and then brainstorm specific questions or problems.

IDEA is an acronym for: I= Inspiration or Identify the Problem; D= Develop Alternatives; E= Evaluate the Alternatives; and A= take Action. The meeting is free and open to anyone who is starting a new career, a new campaign or project, or a new business.

###

John S. Wren, MBA+ http://www.JohnWren.com or http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren is the founder of the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce http://sbccblog.com/ or http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber Contact Wren at (303)861-1447 or JohnSWren@aol.com.

2011-05-01T08:03:00.000-06:00

Joint No Labels/Small Business Chamber/ Denver Speakers Corner meeting this afternoon, Sunday, May 1, 3 pm, at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. Join us if you want to discuss how we can bring about better decision making in politics and government. More info and optional RSVP at Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

2011-04-28T10:53:00.002-06:00

I just sent out this email to a few hundred of my friends, if you'd like to be on the
list for next time, let me know. :) Also, please share this with any of your friends who might be interested, OK? Thanks! John

Here's the email I just sent:

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Dear Friend ,

Just a quick note FYI about a few things you might find of interest:

1) Can you join me TONIGHT for the new play at the DCPA "9 to 5"? First to email me
"yes" with your phone number will get the free ticket. I'll call you when I get back from lunch.
Details about the play are on my http://www.denverwhenwhere.com/

2) I've revised our statement of purpose for our new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
Your feedback would be very valuable to me right now. As the twig is bent, so the tree grows. :)
See it under "Info" on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

3) We have GREAT speakers with us this week at your Denver IDEA Cafe, tomorrow, Friday,
2 to 3:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. Upcoming meetings at Koelbel Library
in cooperation with the South Metro Chamber of Commerce and in Boulder. For more info and
optional RSVPs, see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. :)

4) A new Small Business Chamber online publication is in the works, should help us reach out to
more local chambers of commerce. If you might be willing to lead an IDEA Cafe once a month with
your local chamber, please let me know.

Please forward this email along to anyone who you think might be interested in what we are doing
with our new, free Small Business Chamber. They will thank you, and so will I if you'll let me know
what you've done in a return email to me after you forward to your email friends or cc me.

May I be of service to you? For more about me and how I work to help clients start and grow their
career, their new project, or new business, see http://www.johnwren.com/ or call me at (303)861-1447.

John

John S. Wren, MBA+
http://www.johnwren.com/
Start now!
Founder, Your New, Free Small Business Chamber of Commerce
http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber
(303)861-1447 cell (720)495-4949
JohnSWren@aol.com or John@JohnWren.com

2011-04-26T10:42:00.000-06:00

Starting in a new direction? Join us this Thursday.
Please share this with friends who might want help.

My new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop meets from 2 to 3:30 p.m. each Friday (except for some holiday weekends) at Panera Bread, 13th and Grant in Denver. Speakers and brainstorming. For more information and optional RSVP see link to Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup on http://www.sbccblog.com/ or call (303)861-1447.

This Thursday, April 29, Sharon Linhart http://www.linhartpr.com/, Kevin Masten http://www.brighthive.biz/, and Rick Grice http://facebook.com/lonetreerick, will speak on the topic "my startup experience."
May 6, Speaking on the topic, "my startup experience," will be Mary Winter http://www.denverpost.com/, Dave Pearson http://www.pearsonpetservices.com/, and Barry Thomsen http://www.idealetter.com/.

In addition, new SBCC IDEA Cafe Meetups are now being held in South Denver and Boulder, for more information about them and optional RSVP see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe
Since 1994, my Denver IDEA Cafe has been helping people who are starting in a new direction by providing a free forum where successful people share their startup experience and then brainstorm specific questions or problems.
IDEA is an acronym for: I= Inspiration or Identify the Problem; D= Develop Alternatives; E= Evaluate the Alternatives; and A= take Action. The meeting is free and open to anyone who is starting a new career, a new campaign or project, or a new business.

The new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce has been formed to help local chambers of commerce and others form new IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups. Contact me if you'd like more information about starting a new IDEA Cafe/Franklin Circle group.

Also, if you've started a successful career, campaign, project, or new business, please share your startup experience with us. Meetings are very informal, no need to prepare formal remarks. Speakers tell me they enjoy the meetings. If you like to be announced as the speaker at an upcoming meeting, please contact me at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

2011-04-18T11:24:00.001-06:00

I just was on a No Labels leadership conference call, and then a long, long telephone call with Nancy Jacobson, one of the No Labels founders. They continue to be committed to calling out bullying and intimidation, which I continue to support. I’m trying to get them interested in including civic education as a part of their basic mission, and have recommended that they read the new book that just came out Why Iowa? and also Chris Phillips Socrates Café.

No Labels is planning a national convention that will include a Presidential debate this time next year, they seem very open to Denver as a possible location.

We are going to have a No Labels Meetup here in Denver on Sunday, May 1, 3 p.m. at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant Street. More info and optional RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/nolabels/Denver-CO/84080/

2011-04-12T10:28:00.000-06:00

With us this Friday (April 15) at the Denver IDEA Cafe at 2 pm as an unannounced bonus speaker:
Mike O'Neil, President, Founder, Integrated Alliances, Expert LinkedIn Trainer, Inspiring Social Media, Speaker, LinkedIn Author. Each meeting of the Denver IDEA Cafe has a 15 minute "warm up" before we start the official meeting with the announced speakers at 2:15 p.m. For more information and optional RSVP to get a reserved seat, see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

2011-04-12T07:19:00.000-06:00

My weekly video didn't seem to be attracting any sort of following, I started making it after having great success singing a little song for my grandkids, sharing it on Facebook.

Our Civil War started on this date in 1861, both sides expected it to be a short scrimmage. Robert E. Lee who had graduated from West Point and had a distinguished military career was offered the command of Lincoln's Union Army. His home was just outside Washington D.C., it was seized when he took command of the Southern troops and was turned into a cemetary for the North's war dead.

Have you been watching the PBS/ Ken Burns Civil War special?

My friend Mike ONeil is moving back home to Minnesota, you can say goodbye to him this Saturday at the Tap House on the 16th Street Mall, 5:30 pm

There are two great speakers at the Denver IDEA Cafe this Friday, and maybe a 3rd surprise speaker. Join us if you're starting in a new direction, and please share it with any of your friends who might appreciate a boost at the end of the week as they forge a new path.

Richard Oppenheim and the South Metro Chamber's Ken Wyble have started a monthly IDEA Cafe at the Koelbel Library, the next meeting is in May, you can get info about it at the above link, and a new IDEA Cafe will be starting in Boulder in May, watch here for detail.

If you'd like to start an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop in cooperation with your local chamber of commerce or other group, please contact me for more information about the assistance that is available to help you get started through our new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

2011-04-04T16:13:00.002-06:00

Bob Williamson is a very successful business man, with a powerful, powerful rags to riches story. I discovered him in the recent AOL story about him you can see at http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/03/14/my-first-million-bob-williamson-horizon-software-international/

Williamson has just published a very readable autobiography, “Miracle on Luckie Street” http://www.miracleonluckiestreet.com/, don't miss reading it. The book gives a detailed account of his life in detail from childhood to where he is now and what happened to make a powerful 180-degree change in the direction of his life when he was just 23 years old following a head on automobile accident and a near death experience.

We just spent an hour on the telephone together talking more about the book, his life, and the business lessons he has learned. Here’s a summary of what he shared with me.

“Business is just common sense. I haven’t really read any books, taken any class, I haven’t had a mentor or been part of any group,” said Williamson, speaking to me from Florida where he is developing a new resort and spa.

“Part of this is because I’ve always been a loner. Recently I’ve become much more involved in fellowship, which is good. But it really wasn’t part of my business life until now.

“The turning point for me, what really got me to where I am now, selling my company for $75 million and now having a life I really love, was in 1992 when I surrendered my life to Christ. My business was down to just me and my wife, things did not look good. But a peace came over me, and I knew things would be OK.

“Do you have kids? I don’t know about you, but I love my kids more than anything, more than life itself. I think God loves us that same way, and that’s why he has given us the bible. It’s not just a bunch of rules, it’s a living conversation. It's not just for salvation, although that's very important, but it's also an operating manual to help us with our life.

“I read the bible each day, Google the passage, ask myself what God is saying to me. That’s where my daily message comes from I’ve been sending out for 11 years. You can search on whatever is important to you and see what I’ve written in the past about mission statement, goals, or anything like that. It’s very down to earth and practical. www.wordsfortheday.org

“We are in a spiritual war. We can’t defeat Satan, but we are told to resist. “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13) should be taken almost word by word. It starts with “I”, that means I have to do my part, it’s not just going to be handed to me. 'All things,' doesn’t mean fighting for slavery, or being a successful drug dealer, things that are outside of God’s will for us.” (I’d asked about the PBS special recently on Robert E. Lee, the fact that he had a deep religious faith, thought God was on the side of the South and that God wouldn’t allow them to loose the Civil War.)

“I read a lot of biographies, Thomas Edison, Jack Welch, but no book means nearly as much to me as does the bible, which I continue to read every day.

“I decided to write my autobiography some time ago, I wanted to write it to give hope to people who really don’t have any hope, so they would say, ‘if he can do it, so can I.’”

When I got Williamson’s book in the mail last week, I’d recently announced that the motto or slogan for your new Small Business Chamber of Commerce would be the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It felt like real confirmation we are on the right path when I read that he had made the Golden Rule the cornerstone of the successful businesses he has built.

Why the Golden Rule? Williamson told me: “I asked myself, ‘what would Jesus do if he was building a business today? He would treat people the right way with great customer service, the best products, and fair prices.’”

In his book Williamson goes into more detail about the four primary goals that come out of the Golden Rule. I encourage you to read it.

Bob has agreed to answer your questions you post here as a comment this week.
“Everyone is important,” he said to me when I thanked him for agreeing to answer your questions here, and to taking so much time with me on the telephone.

What question do you have for Bob? This is a great opportunity to get help for yourself, and please forward a link of this site along to anyone else who you think might have a question for Bob or who might like to join us for the Denver IDEA Café Startup Workshop next Friday.

Post your question by clicking “comment” immediately below:

2011-03-28T15:21:00.002-06:00

I'm sticking with my idea of a weekly 2-minute video here on my web site, it will go up by 5 p.m. each Monday. Last week's won't win any awards, but I'll keep working at it to make the video, combined with what I post here on the blog, don't miss TV for you, post a comment here if you like the idea, send me your email if you don't. :)

Hope you'll become a regular viewer, check back here each Friday and encourage your friends to do the same. Your watching, and especially your commenting, will help me help you by making it easier for me to connect with interesting startups and gather useful information for you.

This week I spoke with 21 year old Robert Grant Niznik, a senior law school student and founder of Shpoonkle, a website that just went live 14 days ago with 4 employees. It allows attorneys and law firms to bid on legal requests submitted by clients. The service is free for now, attorneys may be charged membership fees in the future.

Niznik and his new eBay type service is getting lots of publicity right now. I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal last week, and it has been featured on the American Bar Association Journal.

Niznik and I spoke by phone this morning and this is what he shared with me, reconstructed from my notes (Robert please post a note with any additions or corrections):

"I'll graduate from New York Law School this fall, I graduated from Brooklyn College when I was 17, I've always had a lot of business ideas, and I started an Internet business with a friend when I was 14.

Being in law school, I've become aware of the fact that a lot of the 44,000 or so law students that graduate each year don't find jobs with law firms right away. So there are a lot of people who would do law work for the experience.

"There has been a lot written recently about the fact that the middle class has a hard time getting legal help they can afford, it's a lot like medicine, there is no problem for the wealthy, and no problem with the poor, but the middle class gets squeeze.

"Last September I was on a train, and the idea of connecting these two groups came to me. I wrote it down in a little book I carry with me for making a note of my ideas like this.

"This idea gathered momentum as I talked about it with my girlfriend and my dad, who has become my best friend over the years after he and my mom divorced when I was 3. I gathered more information about the need for new lawyers to find work and the needs of the middle class, we incorporated, and I hired our first employee, we now have 4. (The firm is headquartered in Florida, where Robert's dad, a business consultant with an active practice, now lives.)

"I'm managing the business. Everyday I send an email to each employee and every day I speak with each of them on the telephone, sometimes more often. If one of them tells me it will take an hour to do I job, I'll often call them back in an hour to see how it's going.

"As the business was getting started, I came into the house and my dad was watching TV, and I said, 'Hey, Shpoonkle, what are you doing?' The word just came to me. Later I thought, that would be a good name for what we are doing. In the beginning we didn't have any marketing help. We have a PR firm now, and they were not thrilled with the name, but I stuck with it and it has worked out well.

"People are now saying 'Shpoonkle' to describe lawyer and clients getting together this way. We are in the process of registering the tradename.

"After just these first few days the site already has over 300 lawyers and we are having requests for help come in from all over the country, we have a couple from Colorado.

"We should make legal services much more affordable. This is what happened with baseball cards and other collectables when they started to trade online. Being available on the Internet destroys the illusion of scarcity, and the price drops. That's why so many established lawyers don't like what we are doing. Their negative comments don't bother me at all.

"What's my favorite book? That's a question I ususally ask when I get together with successful lawyers in our mentoring program at school. Mine favorite book is 'How to Get Rich' by Felix Dennis, he's in the UK, but he has some real insight into how businesses really get started."

I'm emailing a link to this blog post to Robert later this evening. Post your question in the form of a comment here, I'm pretty sure you'll get a direct answer from Robert posted here as a comment. (This is new, please help me test it by posting your question for Robert now, OK?)

Would you like to see a similar interview here each week?

Your Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe had writer/entrepreneur Cathie Beck with us last Friday, it was one of our best ever meetings. This week we have three speakers, my friend Rick Grice, who has started a sea salt business, Sharon Linhart, who will talk about how she started her PR firm, and entrepreneur Susannah Carroll. No RSVP is required, but to reserve a seat at the brainstorming table, RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe, you can also RSVP on our Denver Small Business Chamber Group site, see the link to it on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

If you'd like to start an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop in cooperation with your local chamber of commerce, or if you'd like to start or join a Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Group, stick around after the Denver IDEA Cafe for Community Room College. There is a 20-minute chalk talk on a business topic, and then we have a sample Franklin Circle. Attend 6 times and you are eligable for a certificate of completion. For more information see http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

"Conventional wisdom daunts initiative and offers far too many convinient reasons for inaction." Felix Dennis, How to Get Rich

Let's go get started!

John Wren

2011-03-25T12:02:00.001-06:00

I just made the following release to the media about your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 25, 2011

Contact: John Wren
Cell (720)495-4949
NEW SMALL BUSINESS CHAMBER ADOPTS MOTTO & ANNOUNCES PLANS
The free IDEA Café Startup Workshop, an app for local chambers says its founder John Wren, combines with Franklin Circle peer advisory groups and the Denver Startup Forum with the intention to become a national organization to help startups.

Denver—John Wren, Founder of the new Small Business Chamber of Commerce announced today that the group is adopting what some call the Golden Rule as their motto, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the foundation of many ancient religions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rule

“People ask me why I’ve donated so much time since 1979. This new motto sums up what’s been motivating me. I’m trying to give people the help I wish that I’d received when I started my business career and when I got started in politics,” said Wren.

For over 10 years the long-time the community activist and business consultant has been working to help people start new careers in business and politics. Now he’s looking for volunteers to help him share what he’s learned with local chambers of commerce across Colorado and beyond.

“If we are successful, we’ll dramatically reduce the unemployment rate,” claims Wren. “We’ll also get more informed participation from newcomers in the 2012 Colorado Caucuses.”

Robert Schwab, former editor of a leading Colorado business magazine, recently visited a couple of the IDEA Café Startup Workshops, patterned after those Wren has been organizing and facilitating for over 10 years. “Attendees can take or leave the ideas that cross the table. That way the atmosphere remains informal and encouraging. People come to hear something helpful, not to have their business concept shot down,” said Schwab in the Huffington Post recently. “The nicest idea I took from the cafes was that starting a business is a journey where it's possible to meet helpful fellow travelers. The work remains yours to do. But the best time to start is now.” (For more about Schwab’s visit to the IDEA Cafes, see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-schwab/startups-denver-idea-cafe_b_838780.html)

IDEA Cafes are intended to be one-time startup workshops for those who attend. At each meeting attendees share startup experience and brainstorm. “If we are successful, people will be too busy to come back,” says Wren.

For ongoing support, participation in a small group is encouraged. A free pamphlet, “More Than Just A Critic—5 Things To Do Now To Achieve Your American Dream,” is distributed at each meeting and at talks Wren and others give to local chambers of commerce, service clubs, church and neighborhood groups, and other organizations. (For a free copy of the pamphlet, contact Wren.)

One alternative for small group support of a new business owner is the Franklin Circle peer advisory group. “I formed the first Franklin Circle in Denver in 1996,” says Wren, “after reading an article that mentioned it in Training Magazine. I found a Masters dissertation that had been written about Ben Franklin’s original group that became our pattern. I took classes in adult education at Regis University to further refine the concept.”

Leaders for the new IDEA Cafes that Wren hopes will soon be forming across Colorado and beyond are being trained at the Small Business Chamber’s Community Room College http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege. The Franklin Circle approach to education is used to train the trainers each Friday afternoon following the Denver IDEA Café that Wren personally leads each week. http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe.

Wren intends to hold a monthly “Big Event” that will be free to exhibitors and free to those who attend. “Exhibit tables will be made available, and a concurrent event will help attract potential clients for the exhibitors, a formal presentation by and for the members of the Denver Startup Forum,” said Wren. The Denver Startup Forum is another organization started by Wren in 2009 for experienced entrepreneurs and their advisors that is now also a part of his Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

Wren practices what he preaches about the importance of small groups. At the heart of all this is Wren’s sounding board, the Franklin Circle Alpha Group. “It is not a board of directors, although I might form one later this year. We meet for lunch every other week. Eventually I hope all members will be leading an IDEA Café once a month in cooperation with a local chamber and facilitating a 2nd Franklin Circle of their own. Right now there is rolling membership as we move towards that goal. Anyone who might like to be a member to help in this effort is invited to contact me,” said Wren.

###

John S. Wren, MBA+ www.JohnWren.com is a business consultant and adult educator. He attended Cornell College and the University of Denver (BA’69, MBA’78), and he has taken classes on adult education at Regis University. He has taught college economics and management, and has been an instructor for the American Management Association and many adult education programs. He is the author of Daring Mighty Things—The Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next) New Business, which has been endorsed by Dr. Amar Bhide, author of The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses. http://bhide.net. Wren personally leads the free Denver IDEA Café each Friday afternoon; it is held from 2 to 3:30 pm at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant, in Denver, http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

2011-03-23T10:47:00.000-06:00

Robert Schwab article about IDEA Cafes got picked up today in the Huffington Post (click here).

Please give 10 stars to this startup story about my father (click here), help get it included in Seth Godin's new book about startup.

Want to write a book and make money from it? Me too. That's why I've invited a writer/entrepreneur to join us this week at the Denver IDEA Cafe (click here to see who I've invited.)

How may I be of service to you? If you want to find your next great client or next good job, call me and let's brainstorm on the telephone ways I might be able to help you as I have so many others since 1979.

2011-03-22T10:27:00.002-06:00

Robert Schwab, former editor of Colorado Business Magazine, just posted this on his blog after attending a couple of IDEA Cafe meetings. If you might like to start a new IDEA Cafe at a time and place of your choosing in cooperation with your local chamber of commerce, please contact me at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447

2011-03-21T16:12:00.000-06:00

We had a two great sessions last Friday of the IDEA Cafe, one at the Koelbel Library in South Denver, and downtown at Panera Bread for the Denver IDEA Cafe. Next Friday writer and entrepreneur Cathie Beck will share here startup experience with us, more info and optional RSVP to get a seat at the brainstorming table at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Dottie Lamm is giving a talk at the Denver City Club about the new group called "No Labels" and what it is trying to accomplish. I first learned of No Labels in her Denver Post column a few weeks ago: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_16820723

Since 1922 the Denver City Club has encouraged the type of civic engagement that No Labels advocates. I know that for sure, it was a great privilage to serve as the groups President, elected after I served on the board when it was decided to admit female members. Our first speaker after that decision was Dr. Doris Drury, my former economics teacher from the University of Denver.

Over the past 3 months, No Labels has had many, many meetings across the country, so national teleconferences and webcasts, most small groups like the one that will meet for the 4th time here in Denver May 1. http://www.meetup.com/nolabels/Denver-CO/

It seems to me the No Labels idea holds great promise. It may prove to be a great way here in Colorado to encourage the participation of newcomers in our wonderful Colorado Caucuses in 2012. http://www.cocaucus.org/

Jane McGonigal's new book Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World is being widely reviewed, I think we'll be hearing more about McGonigal and her insight into games and how they make us more productive. http://realityisbroken.org/ Games help us grow because they create positive emotions, strengthen relationships, provide meaning, and give us a sense of accomplishment.

At it's best, isn't politics really the biggest game? Colorado Caucuses, our wonderful bi-annual, neighborhood, grassroots system for nominating to the primary ballot is the best chance the average person has for serving in elected public office.

Seems to me the No Labels movement can help strenthen in by helping more newcomers to get involved, creating more informed participation in the spring of 2012 when we will be gathering in over 3,000 neighborhoods across Colorado for the 50th time since the system started in 1912 as part of the Teddy Roosevelt reforms.

Will you help us? Contact me if you'd like more information about what we are doing and what help is needed now.

2011-03-12T12:01:00.001-07:00

6 things I'd like to discuss with you: (Your feedback as a comment here would be much appreciated):

1. We had a great meeting yesterday at the Denver IDEA Cafe.

My friend Roger Grandy shared about his experience growing up in Chicago, starting his career, and how he found the job he has now, 34 years later. Roger was out of work and really needed a job 34 years ago. He'd gone through some big personal problems, and was doing some temporary work at the Denver Merchandise Mart. He was told to not hang up a sign for one booth, they had just lost their rep. He contacted the company, and got the job on the strength of his contact at the Merchandise Mart, and he's still working for the same company all these years later, today part-time in semi-retirement.

We waived the usual confidentiality request because Robert Schwab was with us. He's for former editor of the Colorado Business Magazine, and I think you'll see him write something about yesterday's meeting on his blog, he took the time to get the correct spelling of the names of people attending. http://robertschwabpoet.blogspot.com.

2. Want me to sing you a song? Did you see the videos I made for my twin grandsons and posted on my Facebook Wall last week? It was their 3rd birthday March 10. Doing the videos for them has inspired me to start thinking about ways to use video here on this site. Watch for a surprise Monday morning. I'm not sure yet whether I'll include singing here.

3. Community Room College announcement Monday: I'm changing what we are doing at Community Room College each Friday, right after the Denver IDEA Cafe. What for an announcement next week.

4. New IDEA Cafe meetings: One of the reasons for the change in Community Room College is that I'm getting lots of interest from people who are interested in starting an IDEA Cafe in cooperation with their local chamber of commerce. I'm in active communications with people who are interested in starting an IDEA Cafe for Denver Five Points, Evergreen, Summit County, Boulder and The Hispanic Chamber.

5. Next Friday there will be two IDEA Cafes Friday afternoon, the one I facilitate at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant, and the new South Denver IDEA Cafe that Richard Oppenheim and Ken Wyble are facilitating at Koelbel Library, Holly & Orchard. Both will be at 2 p.m. You can get more info about them both on our Meetup.com site, while you're there please answer the poll questions I've posted about how you'd prefer to get information from me. http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

6. Hope you have a great weekend, and check back here about noon or so Monday to take a look at my new video. If I sing, what would be the best song... :)

2011-03-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

On this day in 1975 the Homebrew Computer Club (click here) had their first meeting. It turned out to be an enormously influential hobby club: its existence made possible the personal computer.

2011-03-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start training leaders for the IDEA Cafe and Franklin Circles, and then helping them start groups with local chambers across the state. If you or someone you know might be interested, contact me right away.

I recently made this release to the media about what we are planning to do to spread the IDEA Cafe startup workshop and Franklin Circle approach to startup:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2010

For more contact:
John Wren, cell (720)495-4949

PROJECT STARTUP: SMALL BUSINESS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES A NEW EFFORT TO TRAIN LEADERS FOR LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

Free help for people starting in a new direction with their work across Colorado and beyond.

DENVER--The Small Business Chamber of Commerce’s Community Room College announced today “Project Startup”, a certificate program for CPAs, business consultants, adult educators, and others who would like to become leaders for IDEA Café startup workshops and Franklin Circle peer advisory groups.
Making the announcement, John Wren, founder of the new, free Small Business Chamber said, “Our purpose is to strengthen the grassroots in business and politics. This new “Project Startup” is an effort to recruit, train, and certify small group leaders to spread good information about career, project, campaign, and new business startup across Colorado and beyond.

“The immediate goals are: 1) to have an IDEA Café type startup workshop in every local chamber across Colorado, and 2) for there to be a Franklin Circle type group in every neighborhood by the 2012 Colorado Caucuses to help bring more good candidates and political leaders into both major political parties,” said Wren.

Since 1994, Wren has led what is now called the Denver IDEA Café. It meets each Friday afternoon from 2 to 3:30 pm at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant. The meeting is free and open to anyone who is starting in a new direction with their career, starting a new project or campaign, or starting a new business. For more information and an optional RSVP, see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe or call (303)861-1447

In 1727, Ben Franklin started a self-directed learning group in Philadelphia, and in 1996 Wren used Franklin’s original group as a model to start the first Franklin Circle in Denver. A free information meeting is now held each Friday afternoon for people who are interested in adult self-directed learning, and a certificate for leaders is available. For more and an optional RSVP, see http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

John S. Wren, MBA+ attended Cornell College and the University of Denver, BA’69, MBA’78, and he has studied adult education at Regis University. He is the founder of the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber. For more about Wren see http://www.JohnWren.com or contact him at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

2011-02-18T08:48:00.001-07:00

I just posted this on Craig's List:

SBCC's Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup Group

Since 1994, we help people who are starting down a new path with a new project or campaign, a new career or new business.

Each week we invite people to share their career, business, and political startup experience and we brainstorm. We've heard from people such as: Dan Brogan, 5280 Magazine; Jared Polis, entrepreneur and U.S. Representative; Kenton Kuhn, Black-tie; Paul Lewan, Lewan & Associates; John Youngquist, Princ...

SBCC's IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop

Friday, February 18, 2011 at 2:00PM

Since 1994, we help people turn their inspiration into effective action.

Now we are part of the Small Business Chamber of Commerce (to become an invitation to our monthly "Big Event", free to exhibitors and free to those who attend, see our SBCC Meetup.com site or our http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber.)

Anyone who is starting a new direction, starting a new career, new project or campaign, or starting a new business is invited to join us.

How do we help? We share startup experience and we do brainstorming.

Right after this meeting, if you are interested we give you information about how to start a mastermind group with your friends or to find a group that's already starting that would be helpful to you at our Community Room College, see www.CommunityRoomCollege.org

If we are successful, you will be too busy to come back to the Denver IDEA Cafe n...

See the full event details, including location, at http://www.meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Check out what members are saying about SBCC's Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup Group:

"I would recommend to anyone is considering a startup and desires input/brainstorming in a group setting. Just come with a concise question related to your business that you want addressed." - William Sturm

"I want to help it grow" - Richard Oppenheim

"America is made up of primarily small business so forums like these IDEA Cafes are essential to our sound economic future of the USA." - Patrick B Dolan

"Great group, interesting speakers." - Mark D. Trenner

"First time attendee, but I like the concept of like minded people sharing experiences." - Russ Randall
•Location: Capitol Hill or South Denver

2011-02-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ari Armstrong recently attended a Denver IDEA Cafe, and he produced this video of me talking with him about your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDttQ5c3l3A

Here's an interesting exchange of Facebook messages yesterday with John Brackney, my Facebook friend and President of South Metro Chamber of Commerce. I've met with John before in his office, and he spoke at the Denver IDEA Cafe and the Denver Startup Forum.

John S Wren February 16 at 7:36am

I'm on the 1090AM radio show Business for Breakfast (see link) this morning at 9:35 a.m., I'm going to talk about the Denver IDEA Cafe, Franklin Circles, and our effort to encourage local chambers across the state and beyond to start similar activities as an alternative to SBDC's (the SBA promoted Small Business Development Centers.)

John Brackney February 16 at 7:49am Reply• Report

John, What do you mean by "encourage local chambers across the state and beyond to start similar activities as an alternative to SBDC's (the SBA promoted Small Business Development Centers.)"? I'm not opposed to the activities that you are doing - are you sure you mean alternative to SBDC's? Please advise as I have concerns... .

John S Wren February 16 at 8:02am John, I'm not the only one talking about the fact that an alternative to the SBDC's is necessary. As you and I have discussed, Dr. Amar Bhide has research this extensively, the publisher of Inc Magazine has said Bhide's The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses is the most important book written about startup, in it he demonstates that the venture capital approach to startup, formal market research and formal strategic planning, just isn't the way more than a handful of the million or so new businesses that start each year actually get underway. As you said at the startup forum a few months back, what do you need to create a business? A customer! :) Hope your able to listen to the show today, or even better, join us for the Franklin Circle Alpha Group tomorrow, is that a possiblity? .

John S Wren February 16 at 8:03am Not saying either/or, but both/and. There is more than one way to skin a cat. :) .

John Brackney February 16 at 8:14am Reply• Report

May just be semantics but "alternative" in the context of your writing implies a better choice or that there is something wrong with SBDC's. If you mean "both/and" I'd suggest that you not make the comparison or use another word like "in addition" or simply not bring up the comparision. Thanks for the invite, can't make it but I'm always happy to speak with you John... .

John S Wren February 16 at 8:21am John, from what you and I have discussed about your SBDC, and from what I know about you, your SBDC doesn't follow lockstep with what the SBA prescribed methods. So in the case of the South Metro Chamber the IDEA Cafe/ Franklin Circle compliments what you are already doing. My hope is that what we are doing will encourage more local chambers to follow your lead. If market research and formal planning worked as well as the Small Business Administration seems to think it does, we'd have a planned economy, not a market economy. So looking at all local chambers in Colorado and beyond, what we are doing is a true alternative to those SBDCs that aren't following South Metros lead, what you are doing with yours that gets away from the SBA prescription. Does that make sense? Thanks for helping me get ready for the radio interview. :) My intention is to be helpful to local chambers like yours, help potential members to understand the differences beyond geography. .

John Brackney February 16 at 8:29am Reply• Report

I think I understand your thought process John... sorry I don't have time to respond now as I'm late for a meeting. Talk again soon...

Are you starting in a new direction with your career? Starting a new project or campaign? Starting a new business?

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. the SBCC's (Small Business Chamber of Commerce's) Denver and South Denver sessions for the IDEA Cafe meets http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe, and at 4 p.m. the SBCC's Community Room College will have another free session for people who are interested in starting or joining a Franklin Circle, more info and optional RSVP at http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

I just read Scott Belsky's http://scottbelsky.com/ new book Making Ideas Happen-- Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision & Reality. He supports being in a Franklin Circle type group, "Circles are relevant and hugely beneficial for all leaders with ideas."

If you'd like help starting or joining a Franklin Circle, join us tomorrow for an IDEA Cafe and/or the Community Room College session. Can't make it tomorrow? Contact me and I'll help you directly, (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com

Let's get started!

2011-02-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Wally and Tom on Business for Breakfast, Denver 1060AM, Wednesday, February 16 at 9:35 a.m., to listen online, click link on http://www.bizforb.com/

We'll be talking about the plan to encourage local chambers of commerce across Colorado and beyond to offer IDEA Cafes and Franklin Circles as an alternative to the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) promoted by most of them now.

What's happening with the new Startup America? Forbes writer Maurine Farrell wonders if it's really just a bailout for venture funds. I'd like the program to take a hard look at the Small Business Administration, especially it's SCORE program.

Starting in a new directions? Have a friend who is? This Friday we'll have two IDEA Cafes here in Denver, info about both of them and optional RSVPs on http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Life's short, let's get started. But for right now, the night is late, let's get some sleep. :)

2011-02-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's not over until it is over. :)

Twitter on! We'll continue to experiement with brainstorming on Twitter after the encouragement of the Denver IDEA Cafe this afternoon.

Weekend brainstorming question: Favorite websites? See http://Twitter.com/IDEACafe #IWWCWwebsites

Hope you have a great weekend! http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

2011-02-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Twitter brainstorming experiment is over. I think.

I'm going to take down the "How to brainstorm on Twitter" note on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber next week. If ANY enthusiasm surfaces for the idea, I'll be glad to give it a bit more time.

Brainstorming is a powerful technique face-to-face. If you've had ANY luck brainstorming online, I'd like to hear about it. Post a comment here or email me at John@JohnWren.com

For now, we'll go back to using the Twitter @IDEACafe site just to promote our Small Business Chamber of Commerce IDEA Cafe meetings.

Good speaker this afternoon at the Denver IDEA Cafe, 20+ have told me they are coming, or might be, on Facebook, but virtually NO rsvps on meetup site to reserve a seat at the brainstorming table. Not sure what that means. http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Great meeting of the Franklin Circle Alpha Group yesterday at noon. New meeting location next week. We still need a couple of more people. If you might like to join, or if you want to start your own mastermind or peer advisory group, join us this afternoon for "How to start your own Franklin Circle, and why you should." http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege. No RSVP required, we'll be at Panera, 13th & Grant here in Denver right after the IDEA Cafe.

Thanks to the Denver Daily News, the Denver Post, the Villager, Life on Capitol Hill, Westword, Denver Business Journal, and all those on Facebook who have helped people who've lost a job or had a bright idea know about what we are doing!

How may I be of service to you?

John

2011-02-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

Twitter posts again this morning. This should start working, I'm going to keep it up for at least a few more days. Post your favorite business book in response to today's IWWCW "In What Ways Can We" questions: IWWCWbooks. See http://Twitter.com/IDEACafe

I'm sending out email later today. We have GREAT speaker at Denver IDEA Cafe this week, did you see the mention of our meeting in the Denver Post Tech Calendar yesterday in the print edition? RSVP now to make sure you have a seat at the brainstorming table (1st 12 to RSVP, others sit in the Peanut Gallery.) http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Snowed in, good day to clear my desk and get caught up. Good day for you and I to talk on the phone, call me at (303)861-1447. How may I be of service to you?

2011-02-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Jury duty today. I'm testing brainstorming on Twitter each day, take a look and tell me what you think of what we are doing, OK? See "How to brainstorm on Twitter" Note on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber or go directly to the brainstorming site at http://Twitter.com/IDEACafe

Your feedback on this would be very helpful. Of course brainstorming is just one tool in the creative process, but it can be a powerful boost to us when we are stuck.

2011-02-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

There is lots of news coming out now about the new Start America program to try and help more new businesses to get started, something I've devoted my life to for the past 17+ years.

The Los Angeles Times thinks Startup America is the wrong approach, and say so in this editorial today (click here.) At the bottom of the editorial you can read this comment from me:

Here's a suggestion for the Startup America program, take a hard look at what the Small Business Administration and it's SCORE program are really doing to small business in America.

It has been well documented that the venture capital approach to startup (big idea, formal market research and strategic planning, using other people's money) is just not the way most businesses get off the ground. If it was, we'd have a planned economy and not a market economy. See Amar Bhide's The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses, Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson's Rework, Martin Ruef's The Entrepreneurial Group.

Look at small business today and small business in 1954 with the SBA was launched. What has the SBA done to small business? It has just about killed it.

(Why MBA+? Full disclosure. I say I'm a recovering MBA. Much of what I learned in graduate business school I've had to overcome to be truely helpful to people starting a business from $0, as I've done over the past 17+ years. See www.JohnWren.com)

John S Wren, MBA+
Founder, the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commercehttp://Facebook.com/Small.Business,Chamber

Right now the Small Business Chamber is operating as a one-man band, so I felt comfortable signing the above as Founder. Soon we will need to form a board of directors, adopt politicies, and then, when I sign things like this I'll have to conform to the wishes of the board and the membership. Right now there is really not anyone to fire me, but of course if I do anything too far out of bounds members will start resigning. If you want to resign or if you want to invite your Facebook friends to join us, go to http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

We are trying to figure out a good way to do online brainstorming. It seemed to me Twitter would work, but our first session was a disaster, as you can see if you check our posts from yesterday on http://Twitter.com/IDEACafe

So a new Brainstorming Facebook Page for the Small Business Chamber, you don't have to be a member to play, so give it a try. You can post a brainstorming question under the "Discussions" tab as a new topic, or contribute your ideas to topics that have already been posted. One of the questions: Is there a better way to do brainstorming online. :) Take a look at http://Facebook.com/SBCC.Brainstorming

We've got a great speaker this Friday (Feb 4) at the Denver IDEA Cafe, see who she is at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe, and RSVP there if you want to make sure you are one twelve who sits at the brainstorming table with me and the speaker. Or you can let us know you're coming on the events Facebook page (click here), we've already got over 20 people who say they might be with us to observe the brainstorming from the peanut gallery. Should be a great meeting, will be better if you are with us, so one way or another take a minute now and let me know whether to look for you, OK?

At 4:30 p.m. Friday (Feb 4), following the IDEA Cafe, join me for the free SBCC Community Room College's "How you can start a Franklin Circle and why you should." This is a great way to become part of a peer advisory or mastermind group. RSVP to make sure you have a seat at http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege or on the event announcement on Facebook (click here).

Or how about lunch tomorrow (Feb 3) at Perkins to talk about the same thing? A few of us will be getting together, for details and to RSVP see what I've just posted as a Facebook Event (click here).

"We find that observed (initial, 1st 150 to 550 days) survival rates were much higher for mom-and-pop ventures than for business startups based on other kinds of social relationships."

Martin Ruef, The Entrepreneurial Group

2011-01-22T08:22:00.001-07:00

Things are progressing well as we start your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

The intention is to become an app for local chambers to provide a real service to people in communities across Colorado who are starting in a new direction with their career, starting a new project or campaign, or starting a new business.

We'll have our first monthly "Big Event", free to exhibitors and free to those who attend once our Denver Facebook hits 1000 members. We are almost there, you can put us over the top if you will "Like" our http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber if you haven't already, and follow the link there, join our Denver Group, and invite your Facebook friends in Denver to do the same. Let me know if you'd be interested in being our coordinator with your local chamber of commerce for a SBCC Group in your area.

Our Franklin Circle Alpha Group is having our first official meeting next Thursday, after that I'll be working with the members to help them each form their own Franklin Circle. Let me know if you might be interested, we still have a couple of seats open. If you'd like to start a Franklin Circle with your friends, attend our free Community Room College session "How to start a Franklin Circle and why you should," or invite me to give the talk at your business, neighborhood, church or other group. See http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

Sunday, February 13 at 3 p.m. the Denver No Label Meetup will have our second meeting. The purpose of the group is to encourage more civil conversation in politics. I'm going to poll our Small Business Chamber members after the meeting to see if its good for the SBCC for me to continue my work with No Labels. If you have thoughts about this one way or the other, please join us. http://nolabels.org/

Life's short, let's get started!

2011-01-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Much thanks to Richard Oppenheim and Ken Wyble for launching the new South Denver IDEA Cafe yesterday at Koelbel Library. Their next meeting will be in February, when they will make a final decision about whether to meet once a month, once a week, or never again. :)

Thanks to the magic of modern technology, your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce now has a daily newsletter focused on startup and small business. (See the link to the left here on this page.) Read it for a few days, and then let me know what you think of it. The real test will be how many new "Likes" we get from the link to our Small Business Chamber Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

We are back downtown to Panera Bread for the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop next Friday (Jan 21), if you'd like to attend there is more information and an optional RSVP to make sure you have a seat at the brainstorming table at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

The new Franklin Circle Alpha Group still has a couple of open seats. If you'd like more about it, or more about how you can start or join another Franklin Circle focused on your needs, please attend one of the free information sessions. Next week there will be free info sessions at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday (Jan 20) at Perkins, just south of I25 on Colorado Blvd, and another at 4:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant right after the IDEA Cafe. For more see http://www.communityroomcollege.org/

Hope you have a great week. If it gets off to a good start for you, great! But if you get stuck, give me a call, OK? Let's get started!

John Wren
(303)861-1447

2011-01-07T13:17:00.001-07:00

Mark Skousen and Ev Sequeira will be our speakers this afternoon at the Denver IDEA Cafe, the Phil Perington will share with us at the combined Community Room College and No Labels Meetup at 4:30 p.m. Join us for either or both!

We have a great Franklin Circle Alpha Group coming together. If you want to make continuous learning part of your life, this is a good way to do that in a very enjoyable and effective way.

We are looking for leaders for the IDEA Cafes, Franklin Circles, and Big Events the new, free Small Business Chamber is starting this year across the state. Let me know if you'd like more information.
No Labels is having a meeting with Dottie Lamm here in Denver next week, see it listed December 13 under the "Events" on http://nolabels.org/ My goal with this group is to increase the informed participation in the 2012 Colorado Caucuses. http://www.cocaucus.org/

Life's too short for any of us to learn from just our own experience! Hope to see you soon, or just call me and let's catch up on the telephone.

John

2010-12-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Most Friday's I've been closing the Denver IDEA Cafe with this quote attributed to Goethe:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

We recently had a speaker with us at the Denver IDEA Cafe with a very strong background in the classics, and after I shared the above he laughed (In what to me seemed a bit of a Faustian way) and said "That's from Goethe's Faust, that's the advice of the devil."

So I woke with this on my mind and just Googled "Begin it now."

About.com German Language has this to say:

The Goethe Society of North America investigated this very subject over a two-year period ending in March 1998. The Society got help from various sources to solve the mystery of the Goethe quotation. Here's what they and others have discovered:

The “Until one is committed...” quotation often attributed to Goethe is in fact by William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), from his 1951 book entitled The Scottish Himalayan Expedition. The actual final lines from W.H. Murray's book end this way (emphasis added): “...which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

So now we know that it was the Scottish mountaineer W.H. Murray, not J.W. von Goethe, who wrote most of the quotation, but what about the “Goethe couplet” at the end? Well, it's not really by Goethe either. It's not clear precisely where the two lines come from, but they are only a very loose paraphrase of some words that Goethe did write in his Faust drama. In the Vorspiel auf dem Theater part of Faust you'll find these words, “Now at last let me see some deeds!”—which we quoted at the top of this page. You can read that full passage and other works by Goethe on our Goethe-Gedichte page.

It seems that Murray may have borrowed the supposed Goethe lines from a source that had similar words labeled as a “very free translation” from Faust by a John Anster. In fact, the lines quoted by Murray are just too far from anything Goethe wrote to be called a translation, although they do express a similar idea. Even if some online quotation references correctly cite W.H. Murray as the author of the full quotation, they usually fail to call into question the two verses at the end. But they are not by Goethe.
Bottom line? Can any of the “commitment” quote be attributed to Goethe? No.

I still like the quote, it sums up very well the "just do it" attitude that at some point is necessary to get something new started, I'll just change the attribution to the mountain climber William Hutchinson Murray. It not the advice of the devil, quite the opposite.

Fear is the tool of the devil, whispering in our ear "who do you think you are, you can't do that now, you'd better wait." Yes, be cautious, not fool hearted. Don't skip the Evaluate step in the idEa creative thinking model. But don't get stuck. Many good ideas die on the shore of endless analysis. If you are selling Christmas trees, it's much better to be a week to early than a week too late.

As my childhood hero Davy Crocket said, "Be sure you are right, and then go ahead."

Typing the above I wonder, is my memory foggy, or did these words really come from Crocket? Using Google again I find that answer on AmericanWest.com. Yes they did. :)

2010-12-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ken Wyble did a great job leading the Denver IDEA Cafe yesterday, he'll be back again next week and this time he'll bring a couple of entrepreneurs with him to share how they got started. Join us if you're starting in a new direction, and please let your friends know about it who might be interested. More information at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce is about to get underway. We are going to have our first Second Saturday "Big Event" when the Denver Group gets to 1000 Facebook members, and we are approaching that now. Help us hit it by joining yourself and letting your friends know about it who might be interested. See link to the Denver group at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber, and while you are there check out the very interesting and informative video "Where Good Ideas Come From and "Like" the SBCC Page, if you haven't already.

I'm still recruiting members for the Franklin Circle Alpha Group, please let me know if you're interested. If you've told me you are interested before and I haven't gotten back to you, please ask me again, OK?

Hope you have a great week, and remember:

As going through life,
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the donut,
And not upon the hole!

Thanks for the great memory, Pop.

Now let's get started!

2010-11-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Enough celebrating Thanksgiving, now let's get back to work for at least a few days until the Christmas celebration picks up steam. :)

My efforts are more and more focused on developing your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce. I've gotten lots of encouragement. Just got this email today:

"I support what you are doing. The chamber of commerce has not, for many years, offered much support for small businesses, and your organization is a much needed asset. The national chamber has focused on medium and large businesses for years, and only used the truly small local businesses as a revenue base to support the local offices while they became a lobbying arm immersed in crony capitalism at the higher government levels."

The new Denver Facebook Small Business Chamber Group is now nearly 700 members, when it hits 1000 we'll schedule our first Second Saturday "Big Event," probably in January. You can get to it via our Facebook Page at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber, and please invite your Facebook friends to join us, too.

Not using Facebook yet. You will at some point. :) In the mean time you can follow what we are doing on our blog http://www.sbccblog.com/. Or just give me a call, it would be good to talk with you. :)

I'm forming the Franklin Circle Alpha Group, the last Franklin Circle I'll ever personally organize and facilitate. It's open to entrepreneurs, business owners and creative managers who are serious about their success and want to be part of a group of similar people in a well organized peer advisory or mastermind group. Let me know if you want more information about it. As always, contact me at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com

2010-11-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Colorado Statesman Newspaper published my essay on "Real Recovery" that I posted below as a guest column, you can see their edited version at http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/992289-real-recovery-after-year%3Fs-election-begins-with-these-five-basic-steps

Our new Small Business Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page is showing some growth, but not as much as I expected. You can see it, and I hope "Like" it, at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber.

If you can see anything I'm doing wrong that might be keeping people from "Like"ing the page, please let me know.

Ken Wyble from the South Metro Chamber of Commerce will be our guest chair at the Denver IDEA Cafe on December 3 and 10. If all goes well, he'll help us start a 2nd session of the Denver IDEA Cafe in the South Metro Chamber Offices starting in late December or early January.

I'm still looking for a couple of more business owners, entrepreneurs, and creative managers for the new Franklin Circle Alpha Group, this will be the last peer advisory group that I will personally organize and facilitate. If you'd like more information about it, please let me know. Contact me at (303)861-1447 Monday or Tuesday morning, or email me at John@JohnWren.com.

Life's short, let's get started!

2010-11-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

"In a weak moment, I have written a novel." Margaret Mitchell, born this date (Nov 8), 1900, author of Gone with the Wind, her only book. The manuscript submitted to the publisher was 5 feet high.

2010-11-05T10:57:00.000-06:00

What are you going to do next?

Real Recovery—5 things concerned citizens can do now to help restore the true American Dream.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” President Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910

The spirit of the true American Dream has been stirred again. New representatives have been elected, new solutions are being discussed, new legislative sessions are on the horizon, and each of us who has been active in politics, some for the first time, are left with the question: what’s next?

Let me suggest a few things that we citizens, from new tea-party members to veteran activists, might consider as we decide what contribution we can make between now and the next election to be more than just a critic:

1. Take stock of yourself. Real recovery starts with personal recovery. In football this is called getting back up into a good hitting position. If there is a mental, physical, or spiritual problem, now is the time to address it. If you don’t know where to go for help, call 211, help is just a phone call away if you really want to change. If you do nothing else, get more rest and exercise, eat better, and use recreation to recharge.

2. Connect and reconnect. None of us can do much in isolation. If you don’t already, subscribe to your local newspaper, become a more active reader, post online comments and send letters to the editor. Completely commit yourself to your church, temple, or synagogue and/or your 12-step recovery program. Join or become a more active in your service club, chamber of commerce, trade association, neighborhood, or other group that is important to you. Go back to school or become more active in your alumni group. Join or start a peer advisory group or book discussion group.

3. Do good work that allows you to be an active citizen. If you are a business owner or manager, create a new job and hire an assistant who will allow you the free time to participate. If you are unemployed or underemployed in a job that makes your life all business look for an opportunity to become that assistant or another job that allows community participation and insist part of your compensation be time to be a good citizen. Or start your own business.

4. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Run for elected public office, party leadership, or just help other good people get elected. Google Republican or Democrat and your ZIP code, make a phone call, and volunteer to help in your neighborhood. In 2012 you’ll be in position to make a real difference.

5. Finally, become more computer literate. If you don’t know how, ask your local librarian.
In the spring of 2012, across the state in over 3,000 neighborhoods we’ll once again have the opportunity to gather again for our potentially wonderful Colorado Caucuses. If colleges, high schools, libraries, service clubs, church, neighborhood, and other groups and clubs across Colorado would make active citizenship a major focus between now and then, we can convert the enthusiasm of the moment to bring about a major advance towards the recovery of our American Dream. For more information about it see http://www.cocaucus.org/
"The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." The first usage of the term “The American Dream,” James Truslow Adams , The Epic of America, 1931

John Wren is a Denver resident and long-time community activist, business consultant, and adult educator. He is the founder of the new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce which is now the sponsor of Wren’s Denver IDEA Café startup workshop for people starting a new career, new project or campaign, or new business which he has been facilitating for over 10 years. For more contact him at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447

2010-10-26T11:16:00.000-06:00

I just spent most of the morning getting the word out about upcoming Denver IDEA Cafe speakers, emailing a release to the media, posting it on the Small Business Chamber of Commerce blog http://www.sbccblog.com/, updating the meetup.com site http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe, updating the SBCC Facebook page http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber, and announcing this week's meeting on the Denver IDEA Cafe Facebook group, you'll find a link to it on the SBCC Facebook Page.

For over 10 years I've been holding these free, open to everyone startup workshops for two reasons: 1) I enjoy the meetings myself, they are the highlight of my week, and 2) people who attend tell me they find the meetings very helpful.

It's not meant to be a regular stop for anyone, just a one time boost when starting in a new direction with a new career, a new project or campaign, or a new business. Please join us any Friday afternoon when you aren't quite sure what you'll be doing Monday morning. And please share it with your friends when they have a bump like loosing a job or when they have a bight idea and aren't quite sure what to do next.

It's certainly not a secret. Thanks to the Denver Post, the Denver Daily News, the Villager Newspaper, Westword, the Denver Business Journal for helping us get the word out about it.

It's now part of your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce, so this will be the last you see me write about it here. Maybe. :)

2010-10-23T19:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the Villager Newspaper for getting the word out about your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce to their readers in Cherry Hills and Greenwood Village. To see the article online, click here: http://villagerpublishing.com/2010/news/john-wren-starts-new-small-business-chamber-of-commerce/?awesm=fbshare.me_AVdmp

Mike Littwin's very informative and entertaining article about the tea party phenomina was the front page story today in the Denver Post. In case you missed it, read it here: http://www.denverpost.com/littwin/ci_16412033

There has been a big increase in the level of interest in local politics, should mean a real strengthening of the grassroots with new leaders at the precinct, district and county level with both major political parties. Helping make sure that happens will be one of the major goals of your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce. I'm going to stop writing about it here, you can follow developments with it on http://www.sbccblog.com/.

2010-10-11T14:12:00.000-06:00

Last week was hectic because of some personal business, hope to get more accomplished this week.

Never got notes from DU Symposium posted here, but here's a summary of the weekend put up by the alumni department, including a couple of pictures of me taking the notes if you go to the 6th page or so of the photos. The videos of the chancellor and the Friday evening speaker (see my notes about him below) are very much worth watching. Click Here

Your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce is making some progress. There were announcements about it in the Denver Post and the Denver Daily News. If you haven't "liked" our new Facebook Page, please do so now at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber and while you are there join our Facebook group where I'll be doing several posts a week about upcoming events and news that I think you'll find interesting.

The Jesuit Guide Discussion Group is in it's 4th and final week, you have one last chance to join us this Friday, 4 p.m., at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant St. For more info and optional RSVP see http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

I'm the speaker this week at your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop. I'll be sharing my own career, project, campaign and new business startup experience, and I want to brainstorm a couple of topics related to your new SBCC and our monthly "Big Event" that will be starting in November.For more and optional RSVP see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe.

Hope you have a great week, and please let me know if you'd like a speaker for your service club, church group, neighborhood organization, or other gathering. My favorite talk is "Learn to Win with Ben Franklin's Best Invention, the Mastermind Group."

"Education is the best investment." Ben Franklin

2010-10-01T21:44:00.002-06:00

Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor of the New York Time spoke tonight at the University of Denver Alumni Symposium.

Rosental graduated from DU in 1978, "I didn't go to an Ivy league school, but a lot of the people I've hired did." He wrote for the Clarion, the DU school paper, "which was not so much of a newspaper as a club." He soon was hired by the Rocky Mountain News as a part-time police reporter, after graduation by the Associated Press, then the New York Times. http://www.nyt.com/

He gave a very interesting talk, followed by an frank, open, and long question and answer session. Here is a recap of some of his thoughts:

The print edition of the New York Times is not about to stop. The prime measure of print subscribers, 2+ year subscribers is up, But we could still use more, please subscribe using your credit card.

The Internet is the biggest printing press in the world, but it is easily stopped by governments. We own our printing presses and no one can stop us from printing what we want. Google now has a very interesting webpage measuring government censorship, partly to inform and partly to shame the governments involved. (I think Rosenthal is refering to http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/governmentrequests/) Repressive regimes require licenses for Xerox machines which they know can be used as printing presses.

The Internet could be controlled here. What would happen today with the Pentigon Papers?

You can do more with online ads, take an immediate sale, but they make it really hard on news organizations. CNN fills dead air time with live coverage of bus crashes and other stories that really shouldn't be reported, we can get pulled into the same thing. "It's out there," can be an excuse to cover rumors like the CIA pushing cocaine to exploit certain groups.

Citizen journalists aren't journalists, they are witnesses. Internet powerful tools for reporters, sometimes its better to look for witness online rather than with shoe leather at the scene of a fire. But the opinions posted on blogs aren't news.

Political strategy in Washington right now is "shut this guy down," and the nature of politics right now that nobody debates anything, and that's too bad.

I asked Rosenthal if he'd attended a precienct caucus while he lived in Colorado, he didn't. He doesn't see how the debate he feels is so important is stimulated by neighborhood caucuses, so I suggested that he read Grassroots Rules http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?isbn=0804758034 and ME Springlemeyers series on the 2008 Iowa Caucuses http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/sprengelmeyer/

This afternoon he shared his thoughts with journalism students at DU http://blogs.du.edu/today/news/alum-nyt-editor-not-worried-about-the-future-of-newspapers

2010-10-01T07:32:00.000-06:00

Contact Managers

There are so many choices today, it's hard to know how to keep track of business and personal contact information. What works for you?

I've signed up for the single user version of Salesforce.com, but have found it just too hard to learn. Has anyone else had that problem?

Highrise is great in many ways, very user friendly, but I had a telemarketer working from home using it and she made a big mistake. She followed my instructions! As a result the tagging system is clogging it up, and I haven't been able to figure out a quick fix. Has anyone else had that problem.

Outlook 2010 looks much more powerful and I'm going to give it a try. I'm on Plaxo and Linked In, but don't spend much time with either one.

Some days I wish my old index card system was still in place! How about you? Are you using the computer to keep track of contacts? If you know of a good current article about this topic, if you'd post a link here or email it to me I'd be very grateful!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Another change for me: I'll be posting here and on our Small Business Chamber of Commerce blog http://www.sbccblog.com/ more often as a result of attending Splashmedia's CEO Bootcamp on Social Media yesterday. For more see what I just posted on the SBCC blog.

Many of the posts I've been making on Facebook will now be here, and I may even set up a real website that I control rather than relying on the goodwill of Blogger.com and Facebook.com for my posts.

How about you? Where do you invest most of your online time? Website? Blog? Linked In? Facebook? Twitter? The choices are endless, how do you decide which tools to use, and how is that working for you.

Today I'm attending the University of Denver alumni weekend, if you are there let's sit together at dinner, OK?

2010-09-21T13:26:00.000-06:00

I've set up a new blog for your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce. Everything having to do with it will now be posted there, except for the link to the left. The new address is http://www.sbccblog.com/. Check it out and let me know what you think, especially if you see me doing something stupid! :)

I'm starting the new, free SBCC as a one-man band, but intend to share leadership of it ASAP, probably after our first 2nd Saturday Big Event which I'll announce as soon as we have 1000 members on our new Facebook Group, see link on http://www.sbccblog.com/

After our first Big Event here in Denver, I want to use my time to start the next Big Event, probably in Seattle or Houston. If you are interested in being part of the Denver Committee, please let me know and I'll share more of the details with you. Contact me at JohnSWren@aol.com or (303)861-1447.

2010-09-16T11:09:00.000-06:00

Small Business Chamber of Commerce

Accomplish More!

http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber or (303)861-1447

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2010

Contact: John Wren cell (720)495-4949, John@JohnWren.com, or JohnSWren@aol.com

NEW, FREE SMALL BUSINESS CHAMBER BEING CREATED WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING.
Mission of the founder is to reduce the unemployment rate in Denver and around the world.

Denver-- A new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce is being created by entrepreneur and long-time community activist John Wren. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and the organizations and people who support them can join now. For more information see http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber or call (303)861-1447.

Announcing the formation of the new group, John Wren said, "Today Denver. Tomorrow the world! Your new, free, self-organizing Small Business Chamber of Commerce will use the Internet to connect with people who are starting in a new direction with their career, starting a new project or campaign, or starting a new business, to help them successfully start and grow.

"We will cooperate with all existing chambers of commerce, trade associations, service clubs and other groups that have a similar mission, but we will affiliate with none of them. We hope to popularize the proven concepts of a free, weekly startup workshop similar to the Denver IDEA Cafe and the Franklin Circle peer advisory group.

"The group will be self-organizing. Members will be encouraged to get started, and then to help others get started. We hope to have a volunteer leader for an IDEA Cafe in every chamber of commerce group.

"If we are successful we will reduce the unemployment rate in Denver, in Colorado, across the country, and perhaps even around the world.

"A monthly face-to-face meeting, a combination job-fair, trade show, and networking group will be held the second Saturday starting in November here in Denver. A meeting place and sponsors are now being finalized. This Denver meeting will become the world-wide model, which we will share on a monthly online meeting. To keep things simple I'll operate the group for now as a sole proprietorship, but this is very much a group effort, please contact me if you'd like to help." said Wren.

John Wren www.JohnWren.com is the founder of the Denver IDEA Cafe, Franklin Circles, and the Jesuit Guide Discussion Group. He has done business consulting and adult education in Denver since 1979. Wren graduated from Denver's Thomas Jefferson High School ('65), he attended Cornell College and Regis University, and he is a graduate of the University of Denver (BA'69, MBA'78). He is past President of the University of Denver Graduate Student Association, the Colorado College Republicans, the Denver City Club, and The South Metro Denver Optimist Club. He has been a member through his employers of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and he was one of the early members of the South Metro Chamber of Commerce. He has been a teacher for the American Management Association, colleges, and adult education programs. He is the author of Daring Mighty Things-- The Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next) New Business. To schedule him as a speaker for your business or civic group or for more information about his new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce, contact him at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

2010-09-11T06:05:00.003-06:00

It's the birthday of short-story writer O. Henry, (books by this author) born William Sidney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on this day in 1862. He penned the witty, surprise-ending short stories "The Gift of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief," "A Retrieved Reformation," and "The Cop and the Anthem."

In 1909, the year before he died, he conducted an "autobiographical interview" of himself for The New York Times. It appeared under the title: "'O. HENRY' ON HIMSELF, LIFE, AND OTHER THINGS; For the First Time the Author of 'The Four Million' Tells a Bit of the 'Story of My Life.'"

He wrote:

"What advice would you give to young writers?"

"I'll give you the whole secret of short-story writing. Here it is. Rule I: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule II."

Asked by himself about writer's block, O. Henry answered:

"Yes, I get dry spells. Sometimes I can't turn out a thing for three months. When one of those spells comes on I quit trying to work and go out and see something of life. You can't write a story that's got any life in it by sitting at a writing table and thinking. You've got to get out into the streets, into the crowds, talk with people, and feel the rush and throb of real life — that's the stimulant for a story writer."

From The Writer's Almanac for today.

2010-09-07T11:20:00.003-06:00

I've decided to start a new Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

For over 10 years I've been holding meetings of the Denver IDEA Cafe
startup workshop and helping people start or join peer advisory groups
I call Franklin Circles.

The new Small Business Chamber is a way to expand these activities.

I'll continue the weekly Denver IDEA Cafe meetings and encouraging
others to form similar groups in cities and towns across Colorado and
in other major cities.

We'll have a face-to-face membership meeting here in Denver once a
month, and we will have a monthly online meeting.

Small business (EF Schumacher defined a small business back in his day
as having 300 or fewer employees, today I'd say that's grown to 500)
has always created most of the new jobs.

If we are successful we could have an impact on the high unemployement rate.

Will you join us in this important work?

You can join for free at http://meetup.com/Small-Business-Chamber.

If you have any questions, contact me at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

Together, we can accomplish more!

2010-09-06T12:07:00.002-06:00

Denver IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop Friday (Sept 10)

We invite successful people to share their startup experience and we brainstorm. Free and open to all, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming!

To see who the speakers are this week (one is in the picture to the right, do you know who she is?) and to RSVP if you want a seat at the brainstorming table, see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe. If you have any questions, and if you'd be willing to have us announce you as a speaker at an upcoming meeting, contact John Wren at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

2010-08-26T10:22:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow (Fri, Aug 27) attorney William F. Robinson III (in photo to left, with Denver historian Phil Goodstein who we hope will also be with us tomorrow with his new book about South Denver) will share how he started a fraternity, his law practice, and his new Center for Fraternal Advance at the Denver IDEA Cafe, 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. Free and open to all. More info and optional RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Bill was the adult sponsor of a high school leadership fraternity that had a big impact on me when I went to Thomas Jefferson High School here in Denver. He's been very active in fraternities at Princeton and the University of Denver, and he is very active in the Masonic order, what some call the best fraternity in the world, and the Knights of Pythias.

Bill knows more than anyone I know about voluntary mutual aid associations, and he's been a big supporter as we've worked towards getting Franklin Circles started here in Denver over the last 10 years or so. Hope you can join us, and please let your friends know about the meeting who might find it helpful. They will thank you, and so will I if you'll let me know what you've done.

2010-08-20T06:36:00.002-06:00

I just posted this on Facebook:

John S Wren: Susan Kildahl is our speaker this afternoon (Fri, Aug 20). Please join us if you're not sure what you are going to do Monday morning as you start in a new direction with your career, a new project or campaign, or a new business. Please share with your Facebook friends, you never know who may have just had a bump or a bright idea. Today's meeting was announced on the front page of the Denver Post business section, today's Denver Business Journal and the Denver Daily News. More info and optional RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Radical Business Triage
www.susankildahl.com
How many of those questions had you thinking of an answer and it was not the answer that you had hoped for when you started your business? That is where business strategy consulting comes in with Radical Business Triage!
4 minutes ago · Comment ·LikeUnlike · Share

2010-08-18T10:52:00.002-06:00

Don't plan ahead. Make decisions today based on information you have today. If you made the decision with yesterday's information it's not going to be nearly as good. You'll be more successful if from day one get good at making money, not good at spending money. That's why bootstrapping works best. Rework by 37Signals

2010-08-12T10:31:00.002-06:00

The big winner Tuesday here in Colorado was our wonderful neighborhood caucus-assembly system for getting nominated to the primary ballot. Lots of people will be encouraged to get more involved with their local community and to get prepared for the 2012 Colorado Caucuses.

For more watch http://www.COCaucus.org now and after the elections in November, or call me about the Franklin Circle I'm organizing for serious citizens who really want to make a difference using the caucus-assembly system to get elected to public office or to help other good people get elected. Contact me at (303)861-1447, John@JohnWren.com, or attend the free, open Denver IDEA Cafe any Friday afternoon, for more about it see http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Together, Colorado citizens can use the 2012 Colorado Caucuses to break the strangle hold of the ruling class!

2010-08-09T15:16:00.005-06:00

I just got this book after reading a very favorable review of it in the Wall Street Journal, and I think we'll be hearing a lot more about it. More here after I've read it.

“Renowned sociologist Andrew Hacker and New York Times writer Claudia Dreifus make an incisive case that the American way of higher education, now a 420 billion-per-year business, has lost sight of its primary mission: the education of young adults. Going behind the myths and mantras, they probe the true performance of the Ivy League, the baleful influence of tenure, an unhealthy reliance on part-time teachers and the super-sized bureaucracies which now have a life of their own.

As Hacker and Dreifus call for a through overhaul of a self-indulgent system, they take readers on a road trip from Princeton to Evergreen State to Florida Gulf Coast University, revealing those facilities and institutions that are getting it right and proving that teaching and learning can be achieved—and at a much more reasonable price.”

More at http://www.highereducationquestionmark.com/

2010-07-30T13:20:00.002-06:00

I just release this to the media, and will be making the following announcement at the Denver IDEA Cafe at 2 p.m. http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2010

Contact: John Wren (720)495-4949

COLORADO CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CHALLANGED TO UNDERTAKE STARTUP WORKSHOPS.

DENVER-- Entrepreneur and community activist John Wren today challenged chambers of commerce across Colorado to offer their members and potential members a free, weekly IDEA Cafe startup workshop and encourage the formation of Franklin Circle peer advisory groups or to be faced with competition from a new Small Business Chamber of Commerce. Chamber staff and board members are invited to contact Wren at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com.

“My mission is to reduce unemployment in Colorado by encouraging new business startups. Dr. Amar Bhide’s www.bhide.net research and the experience of myself and most who have actually started a new business proves that businesses just don’t start the way the SBA says that they should start. I say that I’m a recovering MBA because much of what is taught in graduate business school is useless to people who actually want to start a business and not just go to cocktail parties and talk about starting,” Wren said today at the weekly IDEA Café which he hosts each Friday.

“The first step in this project will be for a representative from a chamber of commerce to attend one of my free Friday IDEA Café meetings in August to learn about it and the Franklin Circle, which both follow a simple format and can easily be duplicated for no cost.

“ If I don’t get a significant response to this challenge by noon on the first Moday in September, I’ll go ahead with the formation of the new Small Business Chamber of Commerce which will offer an IDEA Café in each major population center across the state, work towards the formation of a Franklin Circle in every neighborhood, and fight for lower taxes, less regulation, and other issues in the interest of small business and entrepreneurs, in particular the strengthening of the Colorado caucus-assembly system which is the best networking event in the state for small business owners, which is the reason so many powerful interests hate the system,” said Wren.

“To make sure I have enough time for this effort, I’m in the process of discontinuing my consulting practice, and I’ve resigned from being the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Inventors Association, the facilitator of the Denver Socrates Café, and the organizer of Denver Speakers Corner.

“During the month of August, I’m going to form a Franklin Circle Alpha Group comprised of business owners, entrepreneurs, and creative managers who commit to financially supporting what I’m doing. Anyone who is interested in joining me in this is invited to call me at (303)861-1447.”

John Wren www.JohnWren.com graduated from Denver’s Thomas Jefferson High School in 1965 where he was in the Hall of Fame and named “Most Like Thomas Jefferson.” He attended Cornell College and the University of Denver BA’69, MBA’79. His career has included serving as Assistant to the President of Outdoor Sports Industries, Director of Marketing for the Denver Symphony, and instructor for the American Management Association, Arapahoe Community College, Casper Junior College, Colorado Free University, and other adult education programs. He held the first IDEA Café in 1994 and the first Franklin Circle in Denver in 1996. He was one of the founders of Save the Caucus which defeated Amendment 29 in 2002 which would have killed the Colorado caucus-assembly system for nominating to the primary ballot. Wren is the author of the self-published Daring Mighty Things—The Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next ) Business, available free online at www.DaringMightyThings.com, endorsed by Dr. Amar Bhide.

2010-07-28T09:34:00.004-06:00

Gerard Manley Hopkins, born on this day in Stratford, England (1844)
wrote this about finding our purpose in life:

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.

Hearing Hopkins poetry read at a luncheon on a beautiful spring day years ago changed my life.

The poetry reading was one of the final nudges towards becoming Catholic, something I'd considered since reading Thomas Merton's biography 7 Story Mountain in Wichita, Kansas.

This was the Hopkin's poem that most caught my attention that day. It's about a simple man who'd lost his wife and children, who became a saint greeting those at the door where he served as a porter, seeing Christ in each person.

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Laybrother of the Society of Jesus

Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say;
And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield
Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field,
And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day.
On Christ they do and on the martyr may;
But be the war within, the brand we wield
Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,
Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Yet God (that hews mountain and continent,
Earth, all, out; who, with trickling increment,
Veins violets and tall trees makes more and more)
Could crowd career with conquest while there went
Those years and years by of world without event
That in Majorca Alfonso watched the door.

When read, this captures the beauty of a simple man doing
the duty he'd been assigned, a beauty I remember that inspires
me in the work I do to this day.

2010-07-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

My computer is down. If you want to talk, give me a telephone call. Thanks!

John

2010-07-20T10:09:00.002-06:00

I remember this day in 1969, just graduated from the University of Denver, Janet and I married almost 2 years, just back from a trip to Europe which had been a graduation gift, just back down from the mountains where we'd gone for the day and watching our new RCA TV in the De Medici apartments as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, part of the Apollo 11 crew, became the first people to walk on the moon.

600 million of us watched them and it seemed anything was possible.

Little did we know.

2010-07-19T15:38:00.001-06:00

Advertisement I just posted on Craig's List:

The Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup Group

Starting down a new path with a new project or campaign, a new career or new business? Want to get more involved with grassroots as an entrepreneur or newly-active citizen, or to share your experience with newcomers? Then join us! Each week we invite people to share their career, business, and political startup experience and we brainstorm. Since 1994 we've heard from people such as: Dan Brogan, 5280 Magazine; Jared Polis, entrepreneur and U.S. Representative; Kenton Kuhn, Black-tie; Paul Lewan, Lewan & Associates; John Youngquist, Principal of East High School; John Brackney and Joe Blake from the South Metro and Denver Chambers of Commerce; and hundreds of others. Free and open to all, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming. Our mission is to help you increase your ROI (Return on Inspiration)! Some of the best networking in Denver almost always takes place right after the meeting. But please, join us to learn, never come just to network. Join us any Friday you need a boost as you get started in a new direction with a new career, new project or campaign, or a new business! Right now we take part of each meeting to talk about the upcoming Colorado Caucus and the January 19 registration deadline.

The Denver IDEA Cafe & Franklin Circle Information Session
Friday, July 23, 2010 at 2:00PM

Speaker, member Jo Guerra www.YourMarketingGal.com This is a combined meeting with NeighborhoodChalk, we'll be brainstorming the ways to get the group started in Denver.

Since 1994, we help people turn their inspiration into effective action.

Anyone who is starting a new project, a new business, a new career or a new career is invited to join us. How do we help? We share startup experience and we do brainstorming. Meetings are free and open to all, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming.

Also, we give you information about how to start or join a Franklin Circle peer advisory group, see www.CommunityRoomCollege.org

If we are successful, you will be too busy to come back next week to the Denver IDEA Cafe!

An RSVP is NOT required, but it's helpful if you do RSVP f...

Panera Bread Cafe
13th & Grant Street
Denver, CO 80201

See the full event details at http://www.meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe/calendar/14070536/.

2010-07-15T11:08:00.005-06:00

How do businesses really start?

Not the way the SBA and SCORE says they should start, that's for sure.

I've heard hundreds of people share how they started, and yes from time to time there is the rare exception, the person follows the venture capital model of market research, strategic planning, and raising money.

But nearly every successful business starts with bootstrapping. What do you need to start a business? A customer!

A woman joined us at the IDEA Cafe when we were starting years ago. At the end of the meeting she said to me, "I'm so happy I came today. My husband wouldn't let me start until I'd done market research and written a business plan."

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I work for a doctor doing medical transcriptions. He has three other doctors who would like me to do their work too," she said.

Yes, before anyone spends a significant amount of time or money on a new business it's a good idea to set down with a good CPA. A good CPA won't tell you whether you have a good idea or not, who know? In our market economy, the market renders the final decision. But a good CPA will quickly help you see the financial implications of what you are thinking, and they will help keep you legal. If you need to see a lawyer, and most businesses don't in the beginning, the CPA can refer you.

So get started now!

If you want a boost, join us for the Denver IDEA Cafe tomorrow (see link to the left) or read my little booklet on startup, it's free if you read it online, see Daring Mighty Things--The Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next) New Business (click here.)

It may be helpful to you to become part of a small group of people who help each other, something I can facilitate for you through my Community Room College, I'll tell you more about it at the Denver IDEA Cafe or call me any time.

2010-07-13T11:41:00.005-06:00

I just spoke with Dr. Henry Crichlow, former head of the department of petroleum engineering at the University of Oklahoma. The solution BP is implementing now is identical to what he proposed to them and the Federal government through multiple channels. "This required no new equipment, just that they draw together about 4 pieces of equipment they already have," said Crichlow. "The problem now is they may do it in too sudden of a way and create a disaster. It has to be implemented properly."

The New York Time contacted Crichlow, but never reported on his proposal. I called the Houston Chronical and talked with their oil industry reporter the day Crichlow, with his own money, ran an ad trying to get the attention of BP and the government. They never reported the story.

Why virtually no coverage of his idea outside of my little blog and the Norman Oklahoma paper? "BP spends so much on advertising, no one wants to make them angry," said Crichlow.

Maybe so. But way didn't the federal government pay attention? The stonewalling of Henry Crichlow is still a big story, in my opinion.

2010-07-12T08:52:00.002-06:00

Henry David Thoreau (1817) and Julius Ceasar (100 BC) were both born on this date. Which do you think had a bigger impact on the world?

14 years ago I had an insight that changed my life. If you want to know more, give me a call.

2010-07-08T16:00:00.003-06:00

Powerful secrets to accomplishing more revealed!

This is the front cover of a new book I think you'll be hearing a lot more about in the days ahead. It's called The Jesuit Guide to (Practically) Everything (click here for more) by Fr. James Martin who is the editor of America Magazine (click here for website). You don't have to be Catholic or Christian to benefit from the insights in this book.

450 years ago Ignatius of Loyola discovered some methods for connecting to his higher power and then translating that connection into action. He taught others, and they taught others, and now the world benefits, with 28 Jesuit colleges in the US and 58 Jesuit high schools across the country.

I started getting help at Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat Center in Sedalia (click here for website) nearly 20 years ago, meeting with spiritual directors, attending days of prayer, mass, and weekend workshop, and doing the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life about a year ago. That help is what shaped my thinking about the Denver IDEA Cafe, Franklin Circles and the consulting work that I do.

To continue my own growth, I'm going to lead a discussion of the new Jesuit Guide each Friday at 4 p.m. right after the Denver IDEA Cafe (click here) at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant.

The new discussion group is called simply the Jesuit Guide Discussion Group (click here). At each 1 hour meeting we will read a passage from the book and then share our own experience around the topic raised.

A second group meets at Loyola Church (click here) Sunday mornings right after the 10 a.m. mass.

We've started a Facebook group (click here), and we hope to encourage online discussion there and an easy way to share what we are doing with your friends who might find it helpful.

I hope you'll join us! If you have any questions contact me at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com. Or post a comment here if you have something to say that might be of interest to others. Thanks!

2010-06-28T15:58:00.000-06:00

From my friend Chuck Blakeman:

A Business Plan Will Not Make You More Successful

Palo Alto Software, which makes business planning software, just did a survey to their own users to show that those who completed business plans that they started with Palo Alto were nearly twice as likely to successfully grow their businesses or obtain capital as those who didn’t finish.

This research is a classic example of “there are lies, damnable lies, and statistics” (stolen from Twain who got it from someone else). An even more reasonable conclusion – people who DO SOMETHING and follow through on it are twice as likely to successfully grow their business.

My second book (to be published in December 2010) is titled “Bad Plans Carried Out Violently” and promotes the idea that DOING SOMETHING trumps pre-planning almost without exception. I’ve talked with hundreds of successful business owners and asked them two questions:

1) Did you do a business plan before you started your business?

2) If you did, how well did it project what actually happened over 1 yr, 3 yrs and 5 yrs?

The number of successful business owners who do a business plan before starting their business is statistically insignificant – well less than 1%. The only reason the small minority gave for doing one is because they had to in order to get money from a bank or investor (almost no one does one just for themselves). That should tell you something about the classic “pre-planning” Business Plan we’re all taught is so important.

Of those very few that did do a Business Plan before starting, virtually none of them say their Business Plan projected accurately what actually happened in the next 12 months, or 3yrs or 5 yrs. To the contrary most said their Business Plan was wildly off from what actually happened in the real world.

The conclusion is that successful business owners don’t do a classic Business Plan unless banks or investors are involved, and that they never look at it after that. So it has real value for getting a loan, but not for running a business.

Stop planning and get moving! Do a simple 2-page Strategic Plan and revise it every month with the input your business gives you – you’ll be better off.

“Committed Movement in a Purposeful Direction” and “Implement Now. Perfect as You Go.” – two concepts from my next book – are much more instructive to success than pre-planning. Knowing the end goal is extremely important – knowing beforehand the path for how you will get there is fortune-telling.

See the new book from 37Signals.com called “Rework” for others affirming this as well.

2010-06-28T11:28:00.000-06:00

Steve Adams recently attended the Denver IDEA Cafe and wrote this:

Phone power
From: Steve Adams, author of Back To Work!
www.back2workbook.com

I know, I know. The telephone is so Old Media.

Like you, I only use the phone when I have to. I can IM with a friend just about as fast. And you can’t beat the convenience of e-mails that can be replied to when we’re good and ready–or ignored. The phone is a jangling intruder.

Those of us who still have land-lines don’t necessarily answer them when they ring. We’re just as likely to screen these calls by Caller ID or voice mail because–uh, because we can.

John Wren would have you think a little differently about that. “With social media, we tend to overlook the power of the telephone,” he says. John, a business and career coach of sorts in Denver, has a nifty five-minute podcast about that’s linked in the upper left of his Web site at http://johnwren.com/.

He also runs a weekly confab called the Denver IDEA Meetup Group for the exchange of start-up and new business ideas, where I’m tentatively fixing to speak in a few weeks.

John WrenEssentially, whether you’re looking for work in the form of projects or a fulltime gig, don’t sell the phone short. This might be a time when you want to intrude a bit. This isn’t getting your five job contacts for the week for unemployment–dogmeat jobs you’d hope you didn’t get. Those you do by electronic submission, right? But when you really want something, you Make the Call.

John is talking more upstream–not so much phone calls to employers or clients, but calls to friends, to tap into their network. “People who know you well and want to help you.” Apparently, our friends are able to help us more than we–or even they–think, until prodded.

John tells about multiple positions he’s snagged just calling a friend and asking who they know who might be able to provide a valuable connection to the right person or place. That’s how he became, for example, director of marketing and public relations for the Denver Symphony Orchestra.

But now he’s doing his own thing. I’d probably be remiss if I didn’t give his particulars:

Do you want help as you start in a new direction? Since 1979, I’ve helped hundreds of people find a good job quickly, or to find their first or next great new client. If you or someone you know wants to start a new career, a new campaign or project, or a new business, contact me about how I can help. Contact: John S. Wren, MBA+, 960 Grant St. #727, Denver, CO 80203. John@JohnWren.com, (303)861-1447.

Note the phone number. You could, like, pick up the phone and call.

2010-06-22T22:37:00.001-06:00

Biennial of the Americas Startup Story Friday.

Since 1994, free help for people starting a new career, project, campaign or new business.

DENVER—The Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop meets from 2 to 3:30 p.m. each Friday at Panera Bread, 13^th and Grant in Denver. More information and RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

(303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com.

This Friday, June 25: “How the Denver Biennial of the

Americas

came into being,” by Donna Mullin Good, President of Operations http://www.biennialoftheamericas.org/

2010-06-20T12:03:00.001-06:00

It's Father's Day, and I've been thinking about my dad this morning.

Pop passed on November 15, 1979, he was just 55, far too young.

I married in 1967 and started working full time in his business as print shop manager doing a weekly sales bulletin for the salesmen, the invoices and other forms, and creating signs and point-of-sale promotional materials.

When I graduated from the University of Denver in 1969, at a sales meeting Pop gave me a 10 year service pin (I'd worked for him each summer starting in elementary school, you can imagine how much help I was when I was 11!) and he promoted me to personnel manager, housewares buyer, and corporate treasurer.

Last night I was going through some papers and found the TMA directory for the meeting they had at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas in April, 1967 when dad served as President.

That year I'd won the 1967 NCAA Mid-West Conference wrestling championship, but a Psychology 101 class had convinced me that I'd be much better off working for dad in his small company than becoming a cog in some bureaucracy. Also, Janet and I had decided to get married and Cornell College did not allow married students then.

Last night I also found the notes from the talk I gave after the funeral at the reception for the family at mom and dad's condo where she still lives now. They'd moved there a few weeks before in anticipation of dad's immanent death from cancer. From the notes and my memory, here is what I said then, standing in front of the fireplace in the living room:

I've tried to think what Pop would want me to say to everyone today. I know he wouldn't want me to miss an opportunity to give a talk! Anyone who ever attended one of his sales meetings knows he believed in the power of sharing. One time his business partner Sam Newton who was the sales manager left and went home from one of the Saturday sales meetings, and dad kept talking with the salesmen for another two hours!

I have many memories of Pop. The trips we took as a family to Disneyland and Hawaii and the World's Fairs in Seattle and Montreal and fishing in Twin Lakes and Granby and one summer in Yellow Stone Lake, and the business trips he and I took to Chicago, Miami, and New York. On all these trips, he was always teaching and giving advice.

I can remember riding to and from work with him time after time, starting when I was just a little boy not so much working all day as playing on top of the tall stacks of boxes in the warehouse and drinking coffee with Eagle Brand Milk. And I remember the sales meetings, his monthly talk with the 100 or so men; those of us who got to hear him were very, very lucky. As a result of dad's influence and the profit sharing plan he and his partners had created early on, several of his employees went on to start successful businesses themselves.

What I'm sharing with you today is some of the Pop's wisdom, in a way a chance for one last sales meeting with him. Dad would never waste an opportunity like this!

Pop would have liked your sermon Bob (Bob Eli conducted the funeral service at Welshire Presbyterian Church, he was then Pastor at Trinity Methodist Church, he and dad had gone to school together in Amarillo). You encouraged everyone to use the tragic, all too soon death as a time to turn to Christ. Dad was no theologian, but Christ was a real and important foundation for his life. He urged me to go to church each Sunday. He read the bible. I think he waited to die until I'd found my faith in Christ, the greatest gift he ever gave me.

Pop had a practical faith. I vividly remember him telling me about sitting in the parking lot of Derby Market in Loveland, where he and mom were visiting Aunt Lillian and Uncle Jerry. He'd gone in the store and seen they didn't have the non-food items the company he worked for in Amarillo was putting in grocery stores. He saw an opportunity. He went to his car and prayed, he told me, asking for guidance and getting the inspiration coming to move to Colorado and start his business. (I'll be forever grateful that he talked it over with my Uncle Jerry who owned a barber shop, and not the Small Business Administration!)

Dad insisted on a positive outlook. "Be thankful for the good things in life." "As going through life, whatever be your goal/ Keep your eye upon the donut, and not upon the hole."

He insisted there was always a good job available to anyone who wanted one. He was just a little boy selling Eskimo Pies from his wagon when he over heard two bums talking with each other and one said, "If anyone would offer me a job I'd take it." Even as a little boy dad could see the insanity of that statement. Pop's advice: "When you don't have a job, your job is to find a job," and "Take pride in your work. Always do your best!" And "The only difference between the boss and the worker is that the boss understands the value of thinking, of looking for a better way to do things."

Pop knew the great value of families. He knew he could never have achieved the great success he did without moms help and support. She always had dinner on the table, he always had a clean shirt, she was a constant inspiration for him.

Dad always wondered why he and I just couldn't work together. His ideal was the Jewish family that helped each other become successful. I think he liked that idea because he saw himself as the boss! Pop, we will miss you. Thanks for all the great memories and all the great lessons.

In New Orleans they have a parade and celebrate when someone passes on. So let's do that now, let's celebrate this great life, and be thankful for it! Thank-you pop!

To my surprise, everyone got up then and went and ate. I've always been disappointed that the others who were there didn't share more. Maybe they will now.

Happy Father's Day, Pop! I love you.

2010-06-18T08:22:00.001-06:00

The Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop meets from 2 to 3:30 p.m. each Friday at Panera Bread, 13^th and Grant in Denver. More information and RSVP at www.JohnWren.com, (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com.

Today (June 18): On the topic “My startup experience,” public speaker and entrepreneur William Cummings http://www.google.com/profiles/william.cummings2; and sales trainer and entrepreneur Merit Gest http://www.MeritGest.com.

Join us yourself if you are starting something new, please share with your friends who've had a bump or a bright idea. They will thank you, and so will I if you'll let me know what you've done.

JohnWren.com ***Start now! ***

I just got this email from the University of Denver. They are gathering information from alumni and others about a new program on entrepreneurship they are considering:

We want your input on the MS of Entrepreneurship coming to Daniels!

The Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup Group

JohnWren.com Start now!