Although I wasn’t able to read it right away I did get a chance to finish it on a recent trip.
I continue to be impressed with the way they tell stories and bring together practical and real-world advice that we can put to use right away.
The Book Cover Asks the Question:
Are You Making Things Happen or Just Making Noise?
Infrastructure Matters
While I’m not going to do a review of their first collaborative effort … the book Trust Agents … I can say that The Impact Equation takes off from where Trust Agents ended. It’s been a few years since it’s release and the world has changed. One of the early points they make is that Infrastructure matters. When Trust Agents was released the Social Media landscape was a bit like the Wild West. People were exploring and inventing the new world order for what Social Media became. Now the Social Media market has calmed down and there is a lot more rhyme and reason for how Social works.
In The Impact Equation Chris and Julien have taken this to the next logical step and have leveraged the infrastructure that is widely available today and proposed a way to move towards the logical step in the process.
CREATE
In the book Chris and Julien cover a lot of topics and use quite a few real world examples. They also introduce an acronym for designing and enabling impact. The acronym is CREATE. You’ll need to read the book to get the full impact (pun not intended) of each letter. I appreciated the way they use practical real world examples to highlight each point across the C-R-E-A-T-E spectrum.
Build a Platform
One of the key points of the book is to encourage everyone to Build a Platform. A platform enables Reach. It doesn’t guarantee what or where that reach is, but without a platform you are nowhere.
I like the following quote from super smart Liz Strauss. In four words she summarizes what a platform can be.
“Little Bloggers Grow Up” ~Liz Strauss
A great platform enables you to put the CREATE steps into play. A platform enables little bloggers to grow up.
Making More Than Noise
There is a section in the book about a Cocktail Party that I particularly liked. It forces you to think about how you communicate and goes on to describe a few typical and a few atypical things that might happen at a cocktail party. I’ll leave it as an exercise to you, the reader, to find that section when you read the book.
Pick up the book and you’ll see more than a few examples of what it takes to make things happen. To make More than Noise. I predict everyone will make some noise along the way. I predict that you’ll also find that if you follow the tenets laid out in the book you’ll be able C-R-E-A-T-E some action that lead to great results.
Get The Book
If you want to order the book here is a link for the Hard Cover edition and one for the Kindle edition. Yes, these are affiliate links. I use the same philosophy as Chris for my use of affiliate links. For him it’s beer money. To me it’s coffee money.
Not My First Time
This wasn’t the first time I was inspired to action by Chris or Julien. I have met both of them at various events over the past few years and I have to say they are as genuine and forthcoming in person as they are in print. I have already started putting some of what I learned in The Impact Equation into action. I think you will be inspired and spurred to action in much the same way I have been.
Engage.Respond.Connect
Thank You Chris and Julien for working together again to help us all do what we do … just better and if done right … with a platform.
I look forward to your next collaboration.
Good Reading!
Disclosure: Affiliate links. I link these books under my Amazon Affiliate ID. If you have a big issue with this you can opt-out. I’m no Chris Brogan, but Chris wrote a short and sweet blog post about why this should not be a despised act – as he says it’s beer money. For me – it might be one (small) cup of coffee. If you like the book recommendations … great. Buy ‘em via my affiliate link. I thank you and in return I’ll buy the coffee for YOU when we meet in person.
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