Philosophy for CEOs, Startups and Serial Killers.

Socrates Cafe this evening at the University of Denver was excellent. Topic was Jung's idea that if we don't deal with the unconcious mind, we will never escape the shadow side of life.

Serial Killers? We may start including that in the title of the group, which is now "Socrates Cafe: Philosophy for CEOs, Startups, and Other Pioneers." Why the change?

Check out Netflix "MindHunters" if you haven't seen it already and you will understand. True story of FBI agents profiling serial killers who are joined by a psychologist who reads some of their interviews and realizes they fit the profile of the group she studies, CEOs. Really.

Join Julie Monday evening for the new Socrates Cafe near the Tech Center in the Castlewood Library, I'll be at the Englewood Library Tuesday evening, check them and others out at www.Meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Society 

Jordan Peterson is here in Denver tomorrow. Amazingly it is not sold out as is the usual case at all his talks, and I've not seen any advertising. I just Tweeted President Trump, suggested he join Peterson on the stage tomorrow. We'll see.

I'll post my reaction to what Peterson shares tomorrow right here and on the Startup Show. Have a blessed Sunday. +++

Topic for Socrates Cafe?

I'm going to suggest this as a topic for Socrates Cafe at DU this evening, Saturday, June 23. Free and open to everyone, join us! For more info and optional rsvp see www.Meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Society

Startup Show: Save the Caucus!

Below is the raw, unedited Startup Show from today's 10:30 a.m. webcast via Google+ Live Hangouts and YouTube live events. If I add some clips the edited version will be longer and it will have titles, etc. be a little slicker. But this is important info, I wanted to get it out asap.

Below you'll find the media release from yesterday talking about the launch of "Light a Candle for the Colorado Caucus."

Watch here again Sunday (2/28) at noon when we'll talk about the disastrous Amendment 99 that will kill our wonderful Colorado Caucus, then Monday, and Tuesday live right here on www.JohnWren.com or any time after the live webcast to watch the recording.

Here's today's show talking about what we are doing with Save the Caucus and why. If you want to know more, call me at (303)861-1447

Save the Caucus, a Colorado Political Committee, John Wren agent, 1881 Buchtel Blvd. #501, Denver, CO 80210 (303)861-1447

Dialog or dialectic?

I listened to "Plato, Socrates, and the Dialogues" by The Great Courses. Try #Audible and get it free:

https://www.audible.com/pdasin=B00DLM8PF6&source_code=AIPORWS04241590BD 

Have you listened? Let's discuss, ok? Call me at (303)861-1447 or if you're in Colorado join some Saturday evening for Socrates Cafe at University of Denver, more about it and parking map at http://Meetup.com/Colorado-Socrates-Cafe-Society 

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

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?

I saw my brother Randy this afternoon at the University of Denver Voices of Experience lecture.


Steffie Allen spoke about the changes facing corporate leaders as they adjust to changes in the workforces that they lead. She challenged leadership that still believes they can lead in ways that worked in the past and are not prepared for the “new crew.” Steffie presented a thought provoking model of leadership, a framework for leading ethically and authentically, creating real relationships and community and serving as public stewards.

"There is no model for leadership, only principles," she said. "#1 Build and sustain community; #2 Unite people to take action towards a clear and inspiring vision; #3 Demonstrate and inspire citizenship and stewardship; #4 Lead with wisdom from head, heart and gut; and #5 Demand alignment of busines goals and practices with ethics and values." She said these principles were designed to overcome selfishness.

I asked her what she thought of Adam Smith's concept that our free market economy allowed us each to be of service through our self interest. "I have no problem with our free market economy, but it is not enough. We each need a moral system and that's what these principles address." Here's what The Clarion, the DU Student newspaper, had to say about the talk.

Chairman of Woman's Vision discusses leadership traits - News

Eric Hoffer has told us that when we stop believing in God, we'll replace that belief with some form of fanaticism. Where is God in her leadership principles?
"Yes each person needs a personal set of values. The organization needs to recognize that all spiritual paths have value, the test is are they making you a better person? God belongs, however you envision her." (laughter)

Allen formed The AthenA Group in 1989. Athena provides leadership development for corporations locally—and globally. In 1997, she launched Women’s Vision Foundation (50lC3), the only organization in Colorado dedicated exclusively to leadership development for advancing women in corporations. She won the 1988 Dan Ritchie Colorado Ethics in Business award from the University of Denver, served for 20 years on the board of directors of HealthONE, and established and chaired its Ethics and Human Values Committee. Ms. Allen is a 2006 inductee into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.



In the evening I reconnected with my old friend Karl Rove, who spoke at the State GOP dinner at the Marriott South. I was State Chair of College Republicans in 1974-5 when Karl was National Chair, he and I did seminars around the country to help new College Republican clubs get started, and we had the National CR Convetion in Denver that Spring.

Now Karl is the Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, and he gave a very rousing speech about what the President is doing to try to continue the economic recovery in face of the opposition from the new Democrat majority, and what needs to be done to win in Iraq.