Zaadz: A Summer Update
Brian
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead, anthropologist, author & environmentalist
My fellow Zaadzsters:
It's officially been way too long since I've sent an update!
I know you're busy so I'll (try to) keep this quick. First, I'm going to highlight the Top 10 things I'm most proud of then give a quick overview of the 10 things we will be most proud of through the end of 2006.
Top 10 things I'm most proud of since we launched our pre-beta earlier this year:
10. Zaadz on the cover of What is Enlightenment? magazine. That cover is SEXY! Plus, the story they did on us is incredible and the perfect first story. Woo hoo! (Also, I HIGHLY recommend the magazine. All the issues are great but this one in particular is incredible-it's the best overview of Ken Wilber's work I've ever read. Pick up a copy/visit them on the web at http://wie.org/)
9. John Mackey in his Zaadz t-shirt. I recently spent a weekend with John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods) and some of his friends at his ranch in Austin. It was fun. And, he looked great in his Zaadz t-shirt. (No, I did NOT go paparazzi on him so you'll have to imagine what he looked like! :)
I met John through our partnership with FLOW. Although I knew he and I would get a chance to work together, even I have been surprised with the speed with which we met and our relationship has developed. He's an incredible business role model and an embodiment of the conscious entrepreneurship with which I intend to lead our business so it is an honor to be working with him and personally very exciting for me to be developing our relationship. (In fact, we're even collaborating on a chapter in his upcoming book based on his "Upward Flow of Human Development" and my "Areté & the Entrepreneur" piece in the Working for Good Curriculum)! Fun.)
8. FLOW & Our Other Evolving Partnerships. Although we're still finalizing the details of how we're going to "officially" work together, we're very excited to be supporting and partnering with FLOW, the non-profit John Mackey and his co-founder Michael Strong created.
FLOW is dedicated to liberating the entrepreneurial spirit and focusing it on the goals of sustainable peace, prosperity, and happiness for all, in the next 50 years. The FLOW MovementTM combines Freedom, Voluntary Exchange & Enterprise from the classical liberal tradition with Love, Compassion, Social & Environmental Consciousness championed in the human potential movement to create an inspiring, integrated vision.
I'm excited to have them and their team working hard to provide the intellectual framework for the "conscious capitalism" model we strive to embody and we're fired up to spread their wisdom as we re-brand entrepreneurship as a force for good. For more on FLOW visit http://flowproject.org/.
We're also developing relationships with many other amazing individuals and organizations and I can't wait to share the progress as these opportunities evolve in the weeks and months and decades ahead.
7. Working for Good. We've committed 5% of our equity, 5% of our profits and 5% of our employees' time to support non-profits. That's why I'm really proud of our first "big" non-profit project we are sponsoring with our friends at FLOW. The idea behind Working for Good is to "liberate the entrepreneurial spirit for good"-teaching conscious capitalism to the next generation of entrepreneurs and showing how we can use business as a force for good in the world.
You can download the curriculum and check out the web casts of the class (John Mackey led the second day on "The Role of the Corporation" and I led the third day on "Areté & the Entrepreneur." I think you'll dig it.
We plan to do A LOT more here and would love to hear your ideas about organizations and causes you would love for us to support.
6. Our Decision to Go Into a Private Beta Mode. Many of you know that we went into a private beta mode after we had an influx of people joining who were not aligned with our intention. In fact, we deleted about 1,500 of the 2,500 accounts on our site in February and then went into a private beta mode to ensure that the integrity of our oasis was preserved.
Although this wasn't an easy decision at the time and we've taken a fair amount of heat for the decision, I'm proud of the fact we had the courage to slow down our growth and stand for our ideal. Speaking of growth...
5. Our Stats. Our stats are pretty fun to look at and a great sign of things to come. Imagine where we'll be a year (and two...and three...) from now while you check this out:
- So far in 2006, we've had over 2 million visits to our site and nearly 8 million page views
- Visitors have come from EVERY country on the planet. (That's 191 + the Vatican for those curious souls.) How HOT is that?!?!
- According to Alexa, we're about a Top 10,000 most trafficked site on the web (we started the quarter as a top 50,000 site)
- We now have over 6,700 members from, get this: 96 (!) countries. (Wow.)
Again, I get giddy imagining the breadth of inspiration and wisdom we'll bring to the world in the months and years (and decades!) ahead.
4. Our Product. We're just entering beta and we've got a LOT of stuff in store, but we're off to a good start in pursuit of creating the world's leading social networking technology that inspires and empowers people to be the change and change the world. We focus our product development on three primary lines of development and intend to create the world's leading tools in each category. More on what we're up to below..
3. Our Team. Have you seen these guys?!!? I'm honored to work with such an incredible group of brilliant and committed people. Highlights include 5 out of 11 of us are vegan, a few practicing Buddhists, some fluffy Integral guys and overall big heart, big mind creatures. We're excited to use our greatest strengths in service to our community and the world. Makes going to work kinda fun. :)
2. Our Ambassadors. The absolute number of Ambassadors (570) from so many countries (37) is staggering. What's even more amazing, however, is what our Ambassadors communicated in their applications.
As you know, we asked several questions, including:
- "How are we going to change the world together?"
- "What do you love most about Zaadz?"
- "What's your philosophy in two sentences?"
If you haven't read these yet, PLEASE (please please) do. I was brought tears many times as I read these words-from individual responses that struck a chord and from the collective power of so many inspired human beings sharing their courageous and brilliant and compassionate visions for the future. Check it out here.
We just sent out some amazing packages to our Ambassadors-who are now proudly wearing their Zaadz t-shirts and sharing our Zaadz flyers with their friends and community. If you'd like to get a free t-shirt and other goodies and help us sow the zaadz, sign up here!
1. Our Community. I mean, come on!! Have you SEEN our members?!?! OMZ!
What an AMAZING group of passionate souls. And such an eclectic group-~7,000 members from over 90 countries all bringing their own unique perspectives while sharing the common intention of changing the world by living at their highest potential serving the world. This is why we created Zaadz...
"No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.
If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time.
Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."
~ Epictetus, 1st Century Greek Stoic Philosopher
2006 is the year we plant the seed. We're creating the environment that will allow us to reach our highest potential as a community and a company. As Epictetus reminds us, all great things take time. With that in mind, I offer the Top 10 things we will be most proud of in 2006:
10. Instant Messaging Tools. Yes, we're overdue. They'll be coming soon.
9. Launching our events tools. Why isn't there a place where you can go to find the location for everything from the upcoming Earth Day celebration to the yoga class tomorrow morning at 9am? We can't figure it out either. Fired up to bring that to the world.
It'll start simple: any event organizer will be able to enter their upcoming event which will be posted to our site and searchable by category and location (region/zip code) and will evolve to allow things like yoga teachers/studios adding their class schedules to the site (imagine having EVERY single yoga class going on in the world at your fingertips!) to a massage therapist or personal trainer having his/her schedule's online where her clients can click a button and take a slot! (That's a few years out but in ten years you won't be calling a massage therapist to find out their next availability, eh?!? It'll be done online. And, we intend to be the place that facilitates the transactions-empowering our professionals and the seekers looking for their services. (Thank Jake for this! :)
8. Launching our "Favorite Books" tools. How cool is it going to be when you can enter your favorite books by category--from Buddhism and meditation to business and marketing to good ol' beach reading! I can't wait. We'll soon be able to capture their favorite books, tell us why, add their favorite quotes, comments on what they learned and all that god stuff-all with collaborative tools so they can chat with others who love the book about why they dig it. Then we can all check out the most popular books and get a sense of what we'd like to learn next. The aggregate wisdom and inspiration from this is going to be staggering. (Thank Ryan for this!)
7. Wisdom sharing. Along the same lines of the books tools, we're going to empower our members to write articles and share them with our community. Same blogging tools for more powerful content. We'll aggregate the wisdom of our members on everything from integral theory to nutrition to meditation and financial planning. It's gonna be cool.
6. Local Zaanghas. One of the most requested tools (by far!) is the ability to find other local Zaadzsters so our members can get together offline. We're creating tools that will empower our members to form local "Zaanghas" (think Buddhist "sangha" (community) meets Zaadz :) and get together by scheduling local rendezvous. We're going to facilitate these rendezvous by developing a best practice guide that will empower local Ambassadors to easily and time effectively organize meeting places and discussion topics. Exciting opportunities exist for us to integrate content from partners like Integral Institute and FLOW to magazines like What Is Enlightenment? and Ode. Powerful. We'll also be able to extend it to stuff like book groups, writing groups and everything else you guys come up with! (Thanks for those ideas Peggy Joyce!)
5. Zaadz Pro Local (aka Conscious Yellow Pages). Time to circulate wealth consciously as conscious participants in our economy. We'll be addressing both sides of the "Conscious Capitalism" equation: how we earn our money and how we spend our money.
How? Easy.
On the earning side of the equation: I'm a life coach. Where do I advertise my services? Maybe I put my flyers up at local veggie restaurants, community centers, etc. and email my friends to let them know what I'm up to. But it's time- and cost-prohibitive (and simply ineffective) for most life coaches to actively market online b/c there isn't one place people go to find this type of info. With Zaadz.com, we'll be able to provide them with a perfectly focused audience and a cost-effective advertising opportunity to promote their business (basic listing will be free and ~$20/month for an enhanced listing).
The same rules apply for the chiropractor, massage therapist, reiki worker, acupuncturist, spiritual tattoo artist and the accountant and plumber and dentist and house cleaner who's doing business in a conscious manner and looking for clients who share his values.
On the spending side of things: I'm looking for a life coach or massage therapist or acupuncturist or organic house cleaner or (in my case at the moment) a conscious tattoo artist. Where do I go to find them? First step is to ask a friend. Beyond that, it's tough. I'm not likely to scavenge business cards at the hot spots nor am I likely to find a great resource thru a random Google search.
We're going to make that easy. Search by category and region/zip code AND thru your social network. So, for example, you can see who your yoga teacher goes to for massage or acupuncture or that sexy tattoo on her lower back. :)
Philosophically and practically, this is going to be one of the most powerful things we do-when we consciously circulate our wealth we're voting with every dollar we spend and supporting our community to live with more abundance and be in a position to then further support other businesses who get it. If I have a choice of opening the yellow pages to find a plumber or going online to Zaadz to find a conscious plumber who also does yoga I'll take the conscious route every time. This is subtle but VERY powerful.
4. ZaadzMatch. Ah, the long awaited dating tool. No, our site won't atrophy into "just another dating site" but OMZ! How sweet will it be to be able to search for your "match" by parameters like: into Integral theory, meditates three times a week, vegetarian, within 5 miles of my zip code, age xx-xx. Hot! :)
3. Grow! We'll be launching some cool self-development tools that will integrate the best of the best out their and help our members discover their purpose, understand which areas of their life they want to focus on developing, setting goals and building habits to live at their highest potential and to "be the change"!
2. Small Biz Tools. So many spiritually minded professionals struggle with the marketing end of their business. There's a philosophical issue of not selling out and looking cheesy and then the practical reality that we must market ourselves in a professional, enriching, authentic manner if our business/practice is going to thrive. We'll be rolling out some tools that will enable our professional members to deepen relationships with their existing clients and prospects thru newsletter and community discussion tools. Simple but powerful. We'll also integrate some marketing advice and tips on how to create compelling newsletters (think: share your wisdom and make people excited to read your stuff every month!!!) and tie this into the Z Pro Tools as well.
1. Other cool stuff we haven't thought of yet. We know you're going to come up with a LOT of stuff not on this list. Can't wait to build it. :)
This is the just the beginning of the tools we'll develop this year that will put us in a wonderful position to have an incredible 2007, 2008, 2009 and beyond!
Alrighty then. I've exceeded my allotted babble time. :)
I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas and all that good stuff. Let me know what you think!
Sooooo excited to show you all that we have in store in the weeks and months (and years and decades!) ahead. Thanks again for all your amazing support.
Deep, deep bow.
-bri
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness 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 events, meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would have come their way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!"
~W.H. Murray, Scottish mountain climber
Access: Public
Great update, Brian! Very, very exciting! I'm looking forward to a couple of additional functional tools, such as being able to delete first posts not only in the pod(s) I administer but my own first posts elsewhere. Is this coming soon? Thanks for all your hard play! :-) Much love, Sol
Hey Sol: Rob's focused on polishing the pods this summer and that's on the list! Thanks for the kind words and feedback. (Hard play is fun. :)
Hey Tonya: LOVE it!
We've got a lot of cool community building stuff sprouting (brewing just didn't quite cut it ;) around the local Zaanghas and I think tying volunteer activities together with the offline Zaadzster Rendezvous will be awesome.
Very cool, Brian… Providence isn't just moving for us; it's in an all out bull run!
Of recent decades I have been brave enough to claim that Heaven & Hell are both right here on earth, & all we humans have had to do is claim our preferred experience of life. Zaadz proves that Heaven can be experienced in the here & now & tomorrow(s) as well!
It occurs to me that all of us here on Zaadz & all of those yet to join have (along with Zaadz Pom Pom Cheer leader, Brian, & the Wizards) been longing for JUST THIS, CLAIMING THIS IN OUR HEARTS, The Shanga, & now we are here: HOME. What a wonderful family this is.
I only have one request left: MAKE ME A MATCH MATCH-MAKER, MAKE ME A MATCH OF SPIRITUAL NATURE, MAKE ME A MATCH RIGHT HERE:)
Smiles…
PJ
That's fantastic, Brian, I'm especially excited about the zaanghas, I feel like that is a cultural area that has yet to really be met and is ready to explode when the right people, technology, content and venues come together. It's great you're working to make it happen, I want to be the first to help test it out here in DC! I think I need to sign up to be an ambassador.
6. Our Decision to Go Into a Private Beta Mode. Many of you know that we went into a private beta mode after we had an influx of people joining who were not aligned with our intention. In fact, we deleted about 1,500 of the 2,500 accounts on our site in February and then went into a private beta mode to ensure that the integrity of our oasis was preserved.
Although this wasn't an easy decision at the time and we've taken a fair amount of heat for the decision, I'm proud of the fact we had the courage to slow down our growth and stand for our ideal. Speaking of growth…
Power to you, Brian and Zcrew. I imagine that was a huge, tough decision. I honor your enormous courage and integrity in keeping your vision on the path you envisage, and not cave into the pressure of others,or the power of the dollar.
A huge thank you and a huge hug, namaste
There was so much in this blog that I didn't know and am delighted to hear. This is better than I could have imagined! I love the idea behind Zaanghas, and I wasn't familiar…so happy to see this. Events tools - SUPER idea. And Zaadz Pro Local is what I'm most excited about. Beautiful work everyone! I'm more excited than ever to have found this community!
Peggy Joyce: *waves pom poms and smiles*
Steve: That's awesome! Yes, we'll be leading the development of our Zaanghas thru our ambassadors and would love to work with you to get DC going as we develop the best practices for the world!
Jaguar Goddess: Yah. It was huge, tough decision at the time. In hindsight it's so obvious…as it often is when we trust our deepest instincts, eh? Sincerely appreciate your gratitude and we're excited to continue to create our little oasis together. Hug and a bow.
Zoe: Big smile. I'm really really excited about the Zaadz Local Pro, too. I can't wait to roll it out this month. OMZ. Aaron! Give us some love! :)
Dear Brian,
Thanks for the update and explanation of the beta mode. I dragged a 100 refugees from Tribe over here at x-mass, just to have half of them deleted in the dark of the night…but I do understand and I had an intuition what was really happening back then.
As I’m an artist and all about IMAGERY, I still would like to remind you of the IMPORTANCE of pictures ,on my homepage ,in the pods, sending to my other zaadz members,posting and reposting in an EASY and efficient manner.I still post a new digital image almost nightly on my homepage on Tribe because it looks better against black and it goes right up next to my icon. Someone cicks on my page ,they immediately see my newest work and don’t have to search for it. I’d RATHER DO THAT on ZAADZ every night. I’m sincerely happy for all the accomplishments you outlined in your letter, but it’s still not a place that is user friendly for artists and until it is, you WON’t be graced with sexy images that DRAW people by the score to your website. In spite of your shortcomings ,I love you and wish with all my heart to see Zaadz flourish.So LEARN from other successful models out there and don’t get too lofty in your approach,cause the air is mighty thin up there…We can change the world sure,but we’ve got to stay firmly grounded in the real,material,PRACTICAL side of things to affect change that sticks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! Oh, I'm so jazzed to be on this site! Even if I'm just a user on the site, it's the best thing since sliced bread.
Have I said Thank you?
Namaste
Thea
hey Stephen: thanks for the great note. COMPLETELY agree on the need for the practical in order to change the world. Which is why we're focusing on stuff like the events and conscious yellow pages to truly inspire and empower people to make a difference in their lives and the world and haven't spent as much time on certain aesthetics like background colors/image uploading and all that. We're churning and appreciate your support and patience! :)
Thea: you are absolutely welcome. Thank YOU. (sliced bread. hehe.)
Greetings Brian and fellow Zaadzsters!
It's inspiring to see the progress and to be a part of the “seed” initiative. My experiences of meeting like minded beings here on Zaadz has been a real blessing.
The vision created here and the people are truly inspiring. Now to commit more time to the Pods!
Love and Laughter
JAKABA
Beyond words really… but I will try…. even though “Ditto!” was the first thing that came to mind…
This is a dream come true!! And to see the progress through your eyes and through your enthusiastic heart is powerfully encouraging! The new tools that you've announced are going to just make this community JUMP and SOAR forward!!
So… {deepest bows} to YOU and the entire beautiful, inspiring, creative Zaadz-crew… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Wow, I am speechles, but alas..let me try.
I am so grateful to have found you and your hard working team that allows us to gain freedom from our bounded spirits and knocks us up side the head, to realize that, in Sam Cooke's words: “there is a change a coming”..truly Bri, what you guys have done is pretty terrific…and in today's technology astounding.
I am truly interested in the Local Zaadz..I would love to meet up with people in my area…awesome!
I can't wait for what's to come!!!!
:)
Hi Bri, I just want to be clear on this point… I'm not old enough to be your mother, and yet I will risk sounding like one – I'm SO PROUD of you and the Zaadz Crew!
I too am particularly struck by the courage that you all showed in maintaining the integrity of your intention for this site. That means so much.
And I've got a great idea for you re: Small Biz Tools. More later… much love, Mary_C
THANK YOU,THANK YOU, thank you! That's what I am feeling right now. Gratitude for everything you and all of us have created here. I really feel like this is something very big, and getting bigger all the time.
Bri, your enthusiasm is the most amazing thing. So very encouraging! Even without announcing the new tools, we know they are coming, because you are all such amazing Wizaards! It's easy to have, oh, I dunno, maybe 82% patience with the process at this point!! LOL!
I can't tell you how much emotion I feel seeing all that we are doing here, together. Namaste to all of you.
Brian-
Wow! I mean…, WOW! I am humbled by the scope of Your vision and I am immensely honored to be even considered to be a part of it. I Vow nothing less than My heart and Unending Love in return. That even seems to be fall way short for what You have provided. Bountiful rediculous amounts of Blessings and heaping mounds of unending Love and Adoration, Yours in Eternal Spirit and Humility,
Erik
As a web developer I'd love the ability to build mashups using the fabulous tools that you're building. I'd also love to be able to integrate my own interactive web applications into the site (check out http://www.cosmictiming.com as an example of what I'd love to integrate…).
Thanks for fabulous work!
Tom
Thank you so much for helping us put in photos much easier! I have had trouble before and crashed one of my pods in the process of copying and pasting in a photo that wasn't compatable with your system or something! I just added some great photos I got off the web in my most recent blog and it was SO easy!!
Thank you!
let me just put it this way:
a month ago i was toiling without a purpose on some boring IT job. now i'm actually part of this collective working towards a more meaningful present and future.
on top of that, i'm here in Ireland with my loved one while “working” to change myself and the world around me.
somehow saying that this is an amazing ride just doesn't quite cut it.
thanks for the mission, vision, passion, compassion.
let's all kick ass and be still.
~C (for Csziksentmihalyi is right on the money)
I *love* my Zaadz T-shirt. If the rest of the tools – which I’m eagerly looking forward to – are as good as the T-shirt, then this will really be something!
Any chance we get get general chat rooms sooner than later? I mean, it would be easy enough even for me to put up a flash-based chatroom in a post….
Great job so far. Looking foward to more!
– Jordan
This is awe-some. Something awe. Awe and some. Some giant awesomeness. Particularly happy about Zaanghas, the Vatican inroads, and the Pro Local.
Keep it up…and so will I. and
This is awe-some. Something awe. Awe and some. Some giant awesomeness. Particularly happy about Zaanghas, the Vatican inroads, and the Pro Local.
Keep it up…and so will I. and
After reading through this update, my head is spinning and my heart is pounding from the sheer BEAUTY and PROMISE for the future that is the one and only ZAADZ…..
To the entire Zaadz team: I want to express how much gratitude I feel that you are in the world, working so hard to bring this gorgeous vision to fruition, inspiring all of us to reach and grow, and doing what you do for the betterment of the entire planet. I LOVE YOU DEARLY!!!
Wonderful Brian! I've never really thought of myself as an internet community type of person (since I love fleshy 3D bodies so much) but after reading the article in WIE, decided to check it out and am blown away by the quality of people here and the overall vision for the project. I am utterly impressed with the intention, innovation, and scope. If I can help out in any way, let me know and I'll see if I can oblige. Looking forward to the 3D local linking with the global networking. Gaia's nervous system and mind are complexifying, let's see where it goes from here.
Many Blessings,
Kelly
Wow, K-Yi… it's people like you who make it so fun for me to work at Zaadz. Can't wait to live up to and surpass your and everyone else's standards! As for helping us out, have you considered joining the ambassadors?
Thank you for the update, Brian…and thanks to all the Zaadzsters in command that are making this happen. My life is oriented around connecting with people who inspire me to be what’s possible, and making a difference with people who are willing to let themselves be inspired…Zaadz is providing a structure to remind me of who I am and what we are able to accomplish by working together. I just feel so honored to be part of this network. I’ve always felt like we, as conscious beings, are like neurons in god’s brain, passing on information that wants to make itself known. Thank you for turning on the light in here…with Zaadz, in the now, & with the future unfurling, we can actually get a sense of the whole magical entity we are already part of, and use each other up to capacity. Take me for all I’ve got, community…together we are what we’ve always dreamed of. I’m ready for my t-shirt/close-up…see me on the Ambassador page! Also, I’m a resource for the World Cafe - this would be an absolutely phenomenal way to have a mass-Zangha - intimate conversation in a large group of people, where ideas are seeded and cross-pollinated and harvested from the collective…please contact me for more info…
hey u r playing with me… ~ 10 ~ 1 ~ 10 ~…. loved it….. *; ;*
but first number ~3 is a DISSASTER…. THE END OF THE WORLD…. it's been prophesized…
You forgot to add me here…
put me IMMIDIATELLY as Zaadz Princess whose job is to entertain Zaadzsters and raise the vibration…
just DO IT
plsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
~ love ~
To put Zaadz into Beta mode with commitment to hold to its integrity must be consonant with:
1) the creation of a pollution free environment,
2) a life free of disease,
3) the achievement of unimagined “health heights,”
4) the ability to build “improvements upon improvements.”
The new paradigm of health and well-being is here, accidentally discovered in a physics lab, only very few are aware of it to date. THIS MUST CHANGE (it is called MANDATED ACTION).
All goals can be worthy, A value proposition unheard of in human history is before us (sterilizing and disinfecting with water, no expensive harsh chemicals which hurt humans and the environment).
It is possible now to control Avian Flu.
It is possible to kill Anthrax in 30 seconds.
It is possible to expand milk production by 25-30%.
It is possible to extend shelf life of strawberries.
It is possible to decontaminate any polluted source of water in the world and turn it into potable water that “improves health maintenance” at 100,000 gallons/hour using a generator (no elecriticity).
All this and so much more.
While collaboration with the CEO of Whole Foods (or any such project) may be in order, no individual, no group, no company, no country in the world can create the Global Humanitarian Relief now possible once this value proposisition is understood. Thus this effort demands support from every corner of the globe.
Respectfully,
Burt Danet
A Better Community for All (310-712-5477)
Events Tools etc…
As a small publisher that started 3 years ago, with around 200 titles on the list now, we've struggled with the limitations of working through the bookstores, and the difficulties of contacting diverse specialist markets around the world. So this kind of venture struck a chord.
over the last few months we've been developing a media database of 1000 of the right magazines, several hundred expos/conferences, thousands of shops, extending into groups/organizations/networks, radio/TV, etc., planning to increase by a factor of 10 over the next couple of years, accessible by a password for authors etc.. to use. Just wondered if you might find this kind of thing useful.
John (www.o-books.net)
Thanks for the update! I am very pleased with the new stuff! “Specially the image insertion into blogs, ya know, me being a photographer and all that! Heh.
It occurs to me that a directory of Zaadz therapists would be awesome! Both the mind and body workers (well, heck, send in the Spirit ones, too!)
Great work guys! I can really feel the momentum growing.
“Nature follows Mind”
Julia
Of Present Praise, Past Purification, ProActive Promise and Prayer
PRAISE
Beloved Brian (and staff, and ALL), as our brothers in Africa love to say when really fired-up and cheering each other on “Big UP Maan, ….BiiiiiiG UP!”
PURIFICATION
I know that you know (, that we know, that they know that….) the last web-hosted, tech-driven, speculation-fueled, top-down, hope-baiting run-up was looooong on pro forma promise and painfully short on net value delivery. Some hooked-up, bought-in and cashed-out of “the game” in the black most more a shade of wounded blue. The mixed-blessings of all such “lessons learned” owe a huge debt to the legions of would-be/want-to-be/yet-to-be/deserve-to-be honored digital masses we would now have see us/this/Zaadz as different. “Caveat Emptor” is no sustainable by-line, real apology, just recompense or overdue emergence of corporate integrity able to, finally, face the ruefully earned “Tempter Empor!” public outcry or any kind of responsible step towards re-earning member/subscriber trust.
Those millions who shouldered the bleeding edge (financially, emotionally, environmentally…)of MaddisonAve/WallSt's acid-testing of how much is/is not for sale in human living, relating, communicating and consuming are also here…HERE, at Zaadz. Whether already bravely warming ourselves around this beta-fire or understandably still hovering there in the shadows that encircle us, watching what we do and wondering to themselves “Is this a fire that will finally warm the heart and light the way or just a granola-tech new-agey re-brand come-on spending-up old fuel to creating new burns?”, willingness to try again springs eternal.
Since the blame game is Nowherezville for those who would evolve and the past is always already gone, transforming these breakdowns of trust into breakthroughs of unanticipated discrimination and seasoned optimism is a worthy rallying cry. So, we gather (again) and stand ready(again), but somehow anew, and with our bullshit meters re-calibrated, running OS-Earthling v.06 and gleaming integrity-white. The illusory ghosts of big-business' past transgressions melt like so much misunderstanding when we simply stand in the hard-earned light of all we now know, clearly see, deeply feel and therefore intend, resolve and require. This phoenixed faith we shine is the collective radiance by which we forge a brighter way; a beacon call to the ready and a healing reception to the wounded places in the collective US as we wash-up now upon these hopeful new digital shores.
PROACTIVE PROMISE
Though just one human's voice in this humble quirky reply of mine, i prostrate at the feet of the chorus of billions of souls who have lived and loved and longed for a better world, a more conscious humanity. It is their precious contributions then have become a sacred alter now, a critical choice-point today, upon which we here, as awakening humanity, now gratefully gaze. Let's honor it all, redeem every wrong turn, do them proud and find in the challenges of our generation the adventure of a lifetime. Being so much one with you all in this collective “YES!” to potential that is Zaadz, anything that I can do Brian to further shape, shine or share the fruits of this magical garden, you have but to ask. Use me up. I dare you! :)) (…that goes double for the rest of this rag-tag, gorgeous, mind-blowing Zaadzster posse here).
PRAYER
Brian, Z-Staff and all, may your/our capacity to receive and be fed by all the praise here expand in relationship to your/our deepening understanding, creative capacity, uncompromising vigilance and passionate dedication to keeping all that is and will be Zaadz (features, procedures and policies, member growth, “commercialization”….etc.) firmly rooted in earth honoring, mutuality centered, sustainability consequent and intelligent design inspiring accountability.
Yours,
-david
Thank you Brian!
With such a dynamic, all-embracing vision served by a thousand armed, and expanding, divine community, zaad is like the army of gods in the Mahabharata. “Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood.” i feel privileged.
Though i just joined, Peggy Joyce already offered to help me with posting and answering questions.
Also my heartfelt thanks for the 5% donations to non-profits. This is powerful.
Please check out
www.riwn.org/
Refugee Women´s Network– i met this group of women that gathers international and national refugees organizations annualy, conducts refugee leadership seminars using Paolo Freire´s empowering pedagogy. If their seminars and events were to be filmed it would reveal another face of reporting that we are missing.
For anyone interested in immigration and an INS pre 9-11 inside story pls check out
/www.pbs.org/pov/pov1999/wellfoundedfear/
a good chunk of the documentary is available online, it´s impressive.
As soon as i learn a little more of the Zaadz roadmap perhaps i´ll find the right nitch for posting by subject.
Your dynamism inspires me to do more. Beta Mode sounds a great tool.
Namaste,
Vrindaban
Fantastic. Zaadz is growing by leaps and bounds and I'm happy to be part of the group : )
Thank you Brian And all other Zaadzsters for helping me to make this experience of Heaven on Earth into my own living reality. Eye am now able to wrap my consciousness around all of us and breathe love and joy into the rest of the world. It is just a matter of time before the rest of the world will be coming to us for our “BREATH FEEDING FORMULA” and we will give it to them freely because we have come to realise that we are all one at the BREATH level.
Desmond22
In a word, “WOW”! I am so excited about all this information. I plan to spend a great deal of my morning going over this material. It is mind boggling to think that one website can and will provide a great deal of my life. This is long awaited by many of us and I can't wait to see the progress. Thank you Brian and staff for your forward thinking on everything zaadz. I look forward to making our mark on this world.
Yours, Lauri
Isn't this the best? Knowing there's always Zaadz is kind of like finally finding your soulmate - no need to fuss over meaningless stuff anymore, you can just concentrate on growing towards more Wholeness together. Good to be here.
In a word, “Wow”!
In another word: “Wow.”
With tears in my eyes and that weird blend of humility and respect and clarity and enthusiasm that powers audacity, I say “Thank you.”
We recognize our challenges–not only to deliver the technology (that's the “easy” part) but to deliver the authenticity, transparency, and love that match the consciousness we strive to inspire within the world.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
Let's be the change.
-bri
With respect to Lauri’s comment two above, that “one website can and will provide a great deal of my life,” I have had a similar reaction (especially when reading about some of the entreprenurial tools that will be provided).
But then this leads to questions of scale and sustainability. That is, if many of us feel so strongly about Zaadz, then how can it keep being what it is? Won’t it tend to collapse under its own weight at a certain point, burdended by its own success?
Maybe this is a problem for the far future, or one that Zaadz would be glad to have, but still, thinking about what happens if Zaadz is *too* successful should be part of the long-term plan (which it may very well already be).
I do love the fact that it has become the #1 place where I’m spending online time, that’s for sure…
Good morning toooo youuu.
I believe If we leave the past there, live in the NOW creating a space for possibilities, then the future, when it is NOW will be all that we create, new, wondrous, and transformational.
Love/Bliss is light. It lifts us up, and gives us wings. It creates positive vibration.
Brian has created a magical tool/vehicle/virtual meeting space, Zaadz, gifting us this amazing opportunity to connect with other beings across the planet, who want to be the difference in creating positive energy in our world. (comment on Jordan, hugs….)
great ideas!!! I am very excited about the Yellow Pages and Zaangha!! Can’t wait until they are up and running.I go to this site after work(in the wee hours of the morning) especially when it has been a rough day.It calms me down and lifts my spirits.Thank you!
Overwhelming in scope, inspiring and GREAT to read your latest update!! Thank you. I loved the stats and hearing about what the Zaadz mothership/hometeam are up to (chillin on a ranch in austin sounds good :) I really like your 'conscious capitalism' and look forward to hearing more about your work in this direction. A BIG shiny future is rolling in through your email - pls keep it comin!
Hi Brian,
The list is impressive Brian !
I want to see Spas and Spiritual Travel Packages made available. I really love the small business tools ideas. One step beyond what you have listed perhaps utilizing the FLOW partnership in some way would be to provide coaching or consulting services to help spiritually minded people get started in their own conscious business ventures. This might include putting together conscious business plans with templates where the consultant or coach would give the client some templates, assignments, and then check back in periodically to discuss progress until the business is created. There might even be the possibility of a support plan during the 1st year of business to keep the business climbing. There are all sorts of packages that could be created to help people depending on their financial resources.
The best way to promote conscious business is to help people to create them rather than trying to get established business to change their ways. In my view, the conscious business will blow away most traditional businesses… certainly the ones that are ripping people off.
Great Stuff!!!!
Thank you! zb
hi brian & all.
long-time-listener, first-time-blogger here… just got the update and, in spite of previous life experiences, am starting to feel - dare i say it? - excited. just a little excited.
so here’s my qwarshtun for you: can i play?
how? i’m only good at a few things, the main one being painting.
does zaadz need anything from me?
ok bye.
& thank you.
beth
Also, 'my hand is offered',
I own, co-moderate and am a member of many egroups and blogs and chat places, with a focus on writing and esotericism. If I can, from the winter of downunderness, help you guys out, let me know.
Vicktorya
Bri & Team,
What a fired up summer update to warm our winter chills! But more importantly, what an amazing amount of feedback, love & support which highlights how many hearts you touch here with the wonderful inspiring work that you're doing.
What a blessing that every day you get to do what you love and derive so much enjoyment and personal satisfaction from that. What a blessing to all of us that you choose to.
You have my support in whatever way you need it and once I get my butt into action and give my application the time and energy it deserves, you have another ambassador coming your way.
Nicole
I love the direction you-all at the heart of Zaadz are taking it. The community tools are growing so fast, maybe your reality will overtake my own dreams for People Who Give a Damn… there the focus is on activist tools that aid democratically moderated communication and collective decision-making. PWGD is an open source / free software project and maybe Zaadz could use some of the tools– the idea is, how to decide who should get a message? For Zaadz it’s cool that Brian decides if a message should go to the whole community, and for small groups everyone can get every message, but wouldn’t it be great if for some instances the community could screen messages itself? People would get called for “jury duty” to decide if a message is so important it should be sent to everyone’s inbox, or just posted to the web site instead.
Just the local Zaadz tool will be exciting enough for me! I’ve developed tools like that for local groups if a hand is needed in building that.
~
ben
world’s poorest philanthropist, human being, web designer, general volunteer, etc.
I will fall back on a big “DITTO & Thanks Bri and wizards” rather than try to rephrase what others have so wonderfully, open heartedly, frankly, and boldly shared above.
In addition to that I plan to Bohdi blog my butt off and Be the Change.
I've been having trouble seeing clearly as my smiles been so wide since finding zaadz that my eyes a are all squinted shut.
Brian,
Thank you for your energy and your vision. It has been a bit of a “dope-slap” upside my head. I have been sitting stagnant in seminary for a couple of years now, becoming disheartened and not moving much because I have no vision for what I am going to do as an interfaith minister when I'm finished.
Love requires action…any action. Setting right intention, staying open to intuition, and listening to inner promptings will lead in the right direction.
I look forward to learning, growing, and working together with all of you and to being the change. : )
breathe peace…
Rebecca
Thankyou!
Thanks for all you do.
Hi Brian, I just watched the webcast.Good stuff.lol, the setup reminded me of like star wars or something, linking up the galaxies for a meeting of the grand council, hehe.
Anyway, seriously though it was cool to watch.Was I right in hearing that one of the guys was just 17? (at Global Nomads?) WOW! listening to him talk like that, amazing! So thanks for sharing.
I watched the first part, but are there other parts? How can I view these too? The link only seems to show the first days gathering.
Cheers!
>Highlights include 5 out of 11 of us are vegan, a few practicing Buddhists, some fluffy Integral guys
Makes me wonder how the non-vegans in your team feel :)
Or maybe someone, who is neither vegan, nor Buddhist, nor Integral, hehe…
Anywho, thanks for the hours of distraction, ahem, I mean entertainment, no, that's not it either, oh you know, right? Anywho, thanks for the hours!
Brian,
I am honored to be a part of such an incredible vision of beauty. Words cannot express how this community has changed my life and how it inspires me to grow and be an example of Truth, Wisdom,integrity, Love and Compassion..Everyone has already said thank you but I need to also add my thank's for caring so much about each and every one of us:) You all are just amazing and I am deeply grateful for your light:)
Bri
Thanks for the update. I have been in contact with David; My magazine www.distriktmag.com is now aboard all AERO MEXICO flights to USA and EUROPE and I'm offering Zaadz an incredible deal on advertising, I think it'll happen soon. In the meantime, please let me know how to link zaadz with guavajelly.org my upcoming foundation which needs a boost, but if there is anything you suggest to do something together, let me know. Gracias!
Brian, you inspire me! Thank you for the update. You gave us the dream, we'll make it come true. And much thanks to KW for the MAP. Both are dear to my heart. And Zaadzsters, I love you all.
I have been away for two weeks, and true to my philosophy of a retreat time, I disconnected…..wow! I can't believe how much has happened in this global community in that time….eeeggzaadz batman……..ripple, ripple, ripple, WAVE…can't say enough about how I feel the zaadz community changing the world, one person, one moment at a time. My heartfelt thanks….and hey, I was supposed to get a T-shirt….I'd love to wear what I believe in….add it to your “ican'timaginehowicoulddoonemorethingb