I ran across this gem in an Indianapolis bookstore and finished it on the plane ride home (understand my ride home compliments of American Airlines included a detour through Little Rock Arkansas and an unplanned stranding in Dallas overnight) . Maestro is one of the best books on leadership I have ever read and chances are that for most of you it comes out of a profession in which many of you have not spent a lot of time.

The author of Maestro, Roger Nierenberg, is a world class conductor. He has had an extremely distinguished career leading prominent orchestras across America. He has participated in the Carnegie Hall Series of Great Orchestras and has recorded with the London Philharmonic. In his recent book Roger takes you inside the art and science of great conducting all the while making clear the analogies between what he has done and leadership in the business world.

As an example he takes a young conductor who accurately leads the orchestra through a technical piece of music by indicating note for note what the musicians should be playing. The impact comes when Niergenberg has the young student turn away from the orchestra and Nierenberg instructs the orchestra to play the piece without his assistance. They do and it is better. Then Nierenberg explains, the musicians, like top executives in a company, do not need you to show them what to do note for note and your micromanagement gets in the way of their creativity and performance. They do need you to set the rhythm, the pace and the emotion of the music. I think you get the point and I also think you will find Nierenberg’s treatment of the concepts fascinating.

Nierenberg has created a very unique leadership training program where he seats executives among the orchesttra and then interwoven with performance pieces takes them through leadership principles. The concept is know as The Music Paradigm and is one of the creative and ingenious teaching concepts I have seen in a long time.

If you have been involved with the Music Paradigm or have read the book I am interested in your comments and insights.

In our social media and technology classes we often mention a product called “The Flip” Video camera. It is an amazing piece of technology which will help you take your practice to the next level by making the use of videos easy. It is a very simple and affordable video camera. If you can shoot and point you can use this. The videos are digital in nature, meaning there are no cartridges or film. The camera holds one hour of digital video and is entirely self-contained. No wires, no cords. It has a built in USB port to allow you to upload videos directly to your computer so that they can easily be posted on internet sites, your facebook account and even YouTube. The camera also has built in video management and editing software. Here is a collective response to many of the questions we have received.

1. You can learn more about The Flip by visiting their website.

2. There are different models. The Ultra was the original version it is a bit thicker, needs batteries to operate and has a toggle switch control on the back of the camera that controls functions.

3. The Mino is the version that Theresa and I use. It is thinner, charges when plugged into your computer (hence no batteries) and has push type button controls on the back which in our opinion make it easier to operate.

4. Theresa and I opted for cameras that hold 60 minutes of video. We do a lot of videoing. It is rare that we have any space issues, because when the camera is full of numerous little clips totaling 60 minutes it is easy to just download it to your computer and start clean. However, you can get models that hold 120 minutes if you desire. For most instances we think that is overkill.

5. There are now HD (High Definition Models). Ours is not. We have looked at the video quality differences between the regular model and high definition and believe that in most applications the difference is negligible. Also, you should understand that just because you shot the video on the camera in high definition, unless the site you are posting the video on has high definition capability, you will not get the improved benefit of high definition.

We couldn’t give a higher recommendation to any technology product. This belongs in your arsenal. Take your business to the next level.

We will even help you use it. We have created a 6 hour hands on workshop called VideoBiz where we teach students how to shoot, edit and post videos to the internet. There are two excellent ways for us to show you how to use the camera, edit the videos, post them on the internet and bring the power of video into your marketing arsenal.

1. Click here to visit the Course Creator Calendar and find out when the next opportunity is for us to fill your mind in VideoBiz. The video below will help you understand just what is possible:

2. If for some reason you cannot come to class, then you will benefit from the VideoBiz Video Training CD which will take you step by step through opening a YouTube account (For Free), editing the videos and posting them online.

If you have been using the Flip camera or videos in your business we would love to hear about your experiences. If you have any questions about the camera or the editing or posting of videos please ask, we are here to make certain that you Get It! Use It! And Become More Successful Because of It!

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. RE Legal Issues

Practical issues from the real world of real estate closings. Hear what escrow officers have to say about streamlining your transaction, removing roadblocks and dealing with the requirements page in the preliminary title report. Understand the changes surrounding the new HUD-1 Settlement Statement and avoid the most common issues that delay and frustrate the closing of a real estate transaction.

Title Security Agency of Arizona

6390 E. Tanque Verde, Tucson, Arizona

9:00 PM to 12:00 PM – Monday, November 2, 2009

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. RE Legal Issues

Practical issues from the real world of real estate closings. Hear what escrow officers have to say about streamlining your transaction, removing roadblocks and dealing with the requirements page in the preliminary title report. Understand the changes surrounding the new HUD-1 Settlement Statement and avoid the most common issues that delay and frustrate the closing of a real estate transaction.

Title Security Agency of Arizona

Country Inn Suites, 7411 North Oracle, Tucson, Arizona

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Wednesday, October 28, 2009

If you are one of those individuals who has developed a love affair with books then Allison Bartlett’s recent work, “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much” is for you. Bartlett takes you on a journey through the true story and antics of John Gilkey, thief of  books and obsessed neurotic. Bartlett’s trip into the world of collectible and rare books and the people who inhabit it is worth the journey.

More than the detective story built around the schemes and very successful attempts by Gilkey to steal these treasures, is Bartlett’s insight into the passion that books have inspired over the centuries. When we begin to understand that books are the propellant fuel behind the progress of mankind and our evolution of knowledge, we also begin to appreciate fully the past attempts of book burners, hoarders and even religious institutions to stifle and limit access to the books. For in our past the books were everything.

As detached, neurotic and eccentric as we may find Gilkey, we learn he is not the first to be obsessed by books. Seeing the books as a symbol of wealth and success may be the sanest part of Gilkey’s perceptions since we do indeed find the books and the bookcases as a backdrop in every movie, scene and story about what makes life good.

I think Bartlett is correct. There is something mesmerizing about holding a good book in your hands. Whether it pulls you back into your childhood, forward into your fantasies, there is probably a bit of Gilkey in all of us. We just have a clearer sense of right and wrong. You will enjoy this book as an adventure, as a piece of history and as in insight into the beauty of a good book.

Come and learn how to create your own webpage and blog in a day. You can maximize the power of internet resources, upload links and photos. Know how to use new and innovative tools like Google docs, alerts and calendars to fully realize your potential, minimize your time and maximize your income.

Title Security Agency @ Country Inns & Suites

7411 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM – Friday, October 23, 2009

As many of you know, our courses are brought to a location closest to you! We believe in making it so easy for you to join us in an educational adventure!!

Today we are teaching WebBiz, sponsored by Title Security, at the Country Inn Suites at 7411 N. Oracle. So go North on Oracle from Ina and you will see the Country Inn Suites on the West side of the road.

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Come and learn how to maximize the power of Facebook! You will come away with whole new ways to increase your business and maximize your revenue using this marvelous social media tool. This course is being sponsored and taught at:

Fidelity National Title

6860 N. Oracle Road, in Tucson, Arizona

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM – Thursday, October 22, 2009

Today you cannot afford to be without the power of social media. It is literally transforming the ways in which we do business, how we interact with our clients and customers and the manner in which we grow our business. Join us for this FREE one hour introduction to the world of social media .

Sponsored By: Title Security Agency of Arizona

Held At:  Country Inn Suites – 7411 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, Arizona

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call Course Creators at 520.360.0280

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. General

Buyers and sellers tell us precisely what we need to do in order to get them to hire us and be satisfied customers. That information is in the NAR Profile of Homebuyers and sellers. Use the power of those statistics to increase your conversion ratio and serve your clients with ease and success. This course is being sponsored and taught at:

Metro Title

2502 E. River Road, Tucson, Arizona

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Tuesday, October 20, 2009