A short, lyrically strange new song partly based on a dream. Not sure what to say about this one. It lacks a verse/chorus/verse type structure -- it's basically a long verse, a kind of prechorus, and then it slows down and repeats a couple of lines four times amid ocean sounds. My sometimes Internet collaborator Riadsala recorded the bassline I wrote. Less

One thing people often don't think about when going into business with a friend is the relationship itself. You’re going into business as friends. You want to remain friends. Business is full of surprises. Discuss the possible surprises upfront, before you mix friendship and business, so you can keep your relationship strong while you’re in business. You may think your friendship is really strong … and you’re probably right. But when you go into business together, your friendship will be tested more than it ever has been before. It’s wise to prepare for it beforehand, so you already have a lot of the answers when you’re in the middle of a tough situation. Look at it this way – a business partnership is like a marriage. You need a pre-nuptial agreement! So find a good attorney to draw up an agreement for you. 8 “What if …” scenarios to discuss with your attorney #1 – What if the business fails? According to statistics, if the business fails, it’s most likely that no one will be owed any money. But what if that’s not the case – what if the business does owe money? How will you resolve that? #2 – What if it succeeds wildly? That may not sound like a problem, but you’d be surprised. Sometimes when a business succeeds at this level, greed enters in. Then comes the power struggles. Discuss the dream scenario upfront to avoid a nightmare. #3 – What if one of you is incapacitated? What if one partner is no longer able to do his or her part? How will the others handle this? Will this person get bought out? Is there formula for the price? There’s a lot to think about if this unfortunate situation happens. #4 – What if one of you dies? Obviously this is even more extreme than the last scenario. There’s the human side – your friend has passed and you’re grieving. But you also have business to attend to; work still needs to get done. Many of the same questions from Scenario #3 apply here. But there’s more. For example, does the deceased partner’s family now have an ownership stake? Or do you buy them out? #5 – What happens when one of you gets married? Or you may already be married. What say does the spouse have in the business? Can the partner’s interest be jointly owned with a spouse or do you want to restrict ownership to your original group? #6 – What if one of you gets divorced? The business interest may be a significant asset. You probably don’t want a former spouse having a say in your business – even as a minority stakeholder. It can really muddy the waters, as the saying goes. What restrictions will you place on ownership? #7 – What if one of you wants out? How will you determine a price? What kind of notice will you require? What is the process? #8 – What if one of isn’t pulling his or her weight? How will you determine that this is case? What can, and will, you do about it? These aren’t pleasant things to think about, let alone talk about. However, you’re more likely to find good solutions now when you’re thinking logically than to try to work them out in the heat of the moment. We can’t stress this enough – get a good business attorney. Then sit down with your partners and your attorney and work through these issues. Your attorney will probably have even more situations to discuss. Work through these issues before you start – for the sake of your friendship … and your business. Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success Related posts 5 Questions to Ask Before You Work with Your Spouse Success is Teamwork! (Image by ushakov) ShareThis Less

Romany Malco, actor from "The Love Guru", gives relationship advice. Also find out who Tila Tequila, the sultry star of the hot Mtv show, "A Shot at Love", would ideally like to bring as a date to the event. Less

Part of my Old Songs project. A moody tune from 1999 about the terminus of a relationship. I suspect I wrote this song because I liked the title, which has been used before, in songs dating back to the 30s or before. Bands playing music pops up in my lyrics now and then, particularly from my songs written in the late 90s, which is when I wrote this (1999 would be my guess). And, again, it's a tale of loss and regret, although, in this instance, set right at the terminus of a relationship. I don't have much else to say about the song, except that I have always been weirdly self-satisfied that I used the word "prithee" in the lyrics. "LET THE BAND PLAY ON" LYRICS: The band is in the streets They're playing a sad melody Let the band play on, my angel Let them play I prithee Pay them for the song they're playing Ask them to play it again A fitting end to this affair we're having It needs a fitting end We seemed so young when we began this And no we seem so frail The lies I fear have aged us angel The capers and wassail You were never mine to have, my angel And soon you will be gone So let's listen to this mournful song, dear And let the band play on Less

On the show, George recalled a teacher who made him write a report on what he wanted to be when he grew up. This was junior high; George didn’t know what he wanted to be. Maybe a major league baseball player? So he did his report on being a bricklayer. His dad was a bricklayer, with his own business. When his teacher saw the title of his report, she said, “You mean with your brain, you’re going to be a bricklayer?” George could have taken that comment as an insult about his dad. But his dad was good with his hands and his head. He said he did initially think that he wouldn’t get a good grade. But over time, her comment resonated with him. It helped him, as a young person, be more confident in his mental ability. 4 ways to get a message across The statement and the delivery are both important parts of communicating a message. You can’t necessarily control what your message is, but you can control how you deliver it. #1 – Negative statement, negative delivery Without question, this is the worst way to communicate a message. If someone says something negative to you, in a negative way, they lose a lot. You’re not going to feel better. The relationship won’t be enhanced. You may get defensive or even angry. "Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.” Dr. Laurence Peter #2 – Negative statement, positive delivery Sometimes the message isn’t positive, but we still need to get the message across. How you say it becomes incredibly important. A good example might be Donald Trump on The Apprentice. He’s said things like, “I love you; I think you’re a great guy, but you’re fired.” Negative messages have to be delivered. However, you can choose to frame them in a positive way. #3 – Positive statement, negative delivery You risk diminishing the real message you’re trying to get across when you have negative overtures. George took away a positive from his teacher’s comment, but he could have just been insulted.  #4 – Positive statement, positive delivery Obviously, this is how you want to frame as much of your communication as you possibly can. This draws people to you. How you respond to messages You also can control how you respond to other people’s messages, no matter how they deliver it. Let’s take the worst one. Someone may hit you with a negative statement and deliver it in a negative way. Pause before you respond. The conversation can go into a tailspin and be completely unproductive or you may be able to turn it around with the right response. And we can be inspired, no matter what the message is or how it’s delivered. We have a friend who remembers being told that he was too small to make the high school football team. That “negative, negative” inspired him to go for it. Not only did he make the team, but he was a starter! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Related posts How to Offer Criticism Without Being Critical Are You Smart Enough to Say It Simply?  (Image by danzo08) ShareThis Less

There’s an old saying, “I’m so poor that I can’t even pay attention.” We’ll grant you it’s a funny one-liner. But here’s probably a more accurate saying, I’m so poor because I don’t pay attention. There are a lot of things competing for our eyes and ears. It’s important to focus on the right things to succeed bigg.  #1 – Pay attention to your finances You’re the CEO (and the CFO) of the most important organization in the world – You, Inc. If you’re in a relationship, your significant other may take care of the financial duties. But the point is, just like any other successful organization, you want to make sure you have more income than expenses. A lot of people don’t pay attention to their finances until there’s a problem – too much month and not enough money! Then it’s a much more difficult situation than if you pay attention all along. Related articles and posts Getting Aggressively Passive: Creating A Passive Income That Sets You Free How To Get Rich 6 Easy Steps To Financial Freedom Good Debt vs. Bad Debt Don't Make This Costly Mistake Does It Pay To Be Smart?   #2 – Pay attention to what needs to be done A lot of people spend a lot of time paying attention to what they want to do. Bigg goal-getters focus on those things that will advance them toward their dream life. It’s easy to get sidetracked. Many people seem to have a sort of attention-deficit disorder when it comes to focusing on their goals. They keep bouncing from one idea to another, but never make any real progress on anything. People who succeed bigg, zero in on what’s important. What needs to be done to get one step closer to your ultimate goal? Related articles and posts How Do You Define Success? Climbing The Stairway To Success Back To The Future: Visualizing The Life You Want (Part 2) Is Your Star Shining Bright?   #3 – Pay attention to people On the show, George said that there have been a number of times that he had a problem for which he couldn’t find a solution. Then, in a short conversation with someone, they helped him arrive at an answer. You can learn a lot from people. Listening to others is important for several reasons: The one we just mentioned. You may also help them find a solution to a problem they’re having. They won’t forget it. Opportunities that result from relationships. Related articles and posts Relationship Building Blocks 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success 3 Keys to Effective Networking The Two Most Powerful Words You Can Use The Best Way to Build Your Personal Brand   #4 – Pay attention to yourself This is probably the most important one. It’s vital that you keep yourself energized and inspired. George said that as a business owner, time is always so precious. At times, he would let days, even weeks, would go by without replenishing his spirit. He found that he needed to read or listen to things that kept the cobwebs out of his head and inspired him to keep pushing. That’s one of the reasons we started Bigg Success … five minutes or so every day to get your mojo going! So pay attention to yourself by stopping by Bigg Success every day! Our bigg quote today comes from Edward de Bono, who said: “An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgments simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore.” It pays to pay attention to the things that pay off. What have you found pays to pay attention to? What doesn’t pay? Share your thoughts! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. (Image by otbora) ShareThis Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed Any book that Ponzi has ever given me on the subject of relationships makes me shudder. I’m a dude. Dudes don’t read those books! However, when she handed me this one, I couldn’t help but reading it after I saw the title: “How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It“. The review of this book on Amazon says it all: “If you’ve ever told your spouse, ’I talk until I’m blue in the face,’ or ’It’s in one ear and out the other,’ stop whatever you’re doing and read this book immediately! You’re about to discover why talking things out isn’t always the best way to get through to your spouse or achieve more closeness and connection. More important, you’ll learn exactly what you need to do today to truly transform your relationship forever.” It’s a short, easy read, which is important to guys. It was really interesting to read, from a Geek standpoint, and from the ‘guy’ mentality. You know what I mean: a guy doesn’t TALK about his relationships. *gasp* Are you kidding me? That can’t happen. I was afraid to read the book, truth be told. Most of these books are either written by women, for women… or by a guy who wants me to think like a woman. However, the introduction of the book made me sit up and take notice. It validated the way I tend to approach things. It helped me understand why I do the things that I’m doing inside my marriage. The book didn’t want to try and change me, which is important to me. Ponzi and I are very different with our communication styles. We co-exist somewhat peacefully when we remember that we are two different people. This book is wonderful for helping us to keep that special connection we have, without over-complicating things by talking in the wrong way. It helped me understand how I was doing things and saying things, and see how they impacted Ponzi. Marriage is a learning process, and it takes a lifetime to master. When you learn more about yourself, any relationship you’re in is going to become stronger. If you’re a Geek (or even not one!) and in a relationship of any kind, I highly recommend reading this book. Transform Your Marriage Virtual Workshop. Break Free From The Affair. Save My Marriage Today! Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VsHNEpco8To"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VsHNEpco8To" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> Do you have Tips for Presentation Style? Are Social Networks Destroying Offline Relationships? Relationship Humor Internet Dating Tips for Geeks Free Communication Tools Talk about Talking Talk about Talking My Wedding Vows Our Wedding Ceremony Wedding Plans and Notes Less

Pam Stenzel talks to high school students about the benefits of saving sex for marriage. Go Pam! Share this message with others. Less

Today’s blog is about an important relationship-building tool. It’s important at work and home. It’s crucial for leaders and first-time managers. It’s about understanding when to use your “active” voice and when to use your “passive” voice. It may sound simple, but it’s amazing how many times we get it wrong. Today, we’ll quickly review active and passive voice, and offer some tips on how to use each one effectively. Active voice The subject of the sentence appears before the action. Stated more simply, the noun occurs before the verb. The active voice is often more direct and easier to follow. For example, “You performed exceptionally well on this project. Passive voice The action appears in the sentence before the subject, if the subject appears at all. The verb comes first, the noun comes later. So the example above, spoken in the passive voice would be, “This project was done exceptionally well by you.” Note that this sentence actually sounds a little strange stated in the passive voice. That’s often the case. Use the passive voice to offer criticism. The passive voice has its uses. For example, which of the following two statements would you rather hear? “You performed below expectations on this project” “Expectations weren’t met on this project.” The first example is in the active voice. So the focus is on “you”, not the “project”. The second example does the opposite – using the passive voice, it puts the focus on the project. The second example sounds better on this go-around, doesn’t it? Can you picture yourself getting defensive with the first sentence? Probably so, because it screams, “You screwed up!” So when you want to discuss anything negative, use your passive voice. You’ll find that your conversation is much more productive! They won’t feel backed into a corner. They feel more like you’re on their side. You’re not fixing the blame; you’re trying to fix the problem with their help. Use the active voice to praise people. Going back to our original example, we’ll bet you would feel great if your boss said, “You performed exceptionally well …” Can you imagine how your performance would improve if your boss said something like that to you in front of all your co-workers? This is an incredible tool for managers to improve the morale of their troops. So when you want to tell someone that they did something great, use your active voice. Put them first in your sentences. You’ll feel great because you’ll make them feel great! Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed so you get more great personal and professional development tips delivered to you daily. Subscribe to us in iTunes (click here) Subscribe to us in your favorite reader (click here) Our bigg quote today comes from Abraham Lincoln: “He has a right to criticize, who has the heart to help.” Actively accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives with your passive voice. Next time, we’ll discuss how to deal with a difficult co-worker. Until then, here’s to your bigg success! Related posts When A Co-Worker Bad Mouths You Don’t Use Rhetorical Questions to Impart Knowledge Write Right Relationship Building Blocks  (Image by miamiamia) ShareThis Less

Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person never stopped looking at their Blackberry … or iPhone … or some other mobile device? Maybe that person was you! Today we’ll discuss the impression this leaves and how it affects you if you’re an offender. Age matters You should consider the age of the person with whom you’re meeting. When twenty somethings meet, there’s a good chance they’ll both be offenders, which means neither one will be offended! They don’t think anything of it. A forty something might have a problem with it; a sixty something almost definitely would. But no matter what age the person is, if they don’t have their device in hand, you shouldn’t either! The inbox on your desk Let’s go back a generation or so. What would be the equivalent to meeting with device in hand? Picture someone sitting in a meeting with you sorting through the Inbox from their desk while trying to conduct business or build a relationship. How productive would that have been? Why is it necessary? You may think that, back then, there wasn’t the demand for immediate response like there is today. But customers have always been demanding. We used to think that emergency meant “life-threatening”. Why do so many of us today have this compelling need to treat everything as if it’s an emergency? You may say that you have to keep in touch constantly. You’re in a competitive business and you’ll lose customers if you don’t. Let’s go back in time again. Back to the day when the primary means to communicate instantly was by landline telephone. If people then had the same attitude, they would have never left their offices because the phone might ring! So people took turns answering the phone. Could something similar be done today? What really important people think There’s an old story about Richard Simon, of the famous publishing house Simon & Schuster. With his work done for the day, he shut off the lights in his office, grabbed his hat (hats were fashionable at that time), and headed for the elevator. He was joined on the elevator by a young editor. The editor had a brief case in each hand and another pair pinned under his arms. Mr. Simon looked at him and in Tarzan-speak said, “Me publisher, you editor!” We think that looking really busy gives off an impression that we’re really important. But as this story illustrates, really important people may think just the opposite! These devices are useful tools. However, when anything gets in the way of giving people our full attention when we get the opportunity, we’ve missed the whole point. These devises should help us keep in touch with people, not get in the way of connecting with them when we have the chance! Get out your mobile device and connect with us!Click on our Comment link below to share your thoughts  Click on the Share This button below to Digg, Stumble, Mixx, etc. Our bigg quote today is by Richard Moss, who said, “The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.” Will you give that gift to the person you’re meeting with or to your Blackberry? Next time, we ask, “Is your mind like a skipping CD?” Until then, here’s to your bigg success! Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Related posts Relationship Building Blocks Lessons about Friendship from Man's Best Friend Can You Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time? TMI Is Not So Gr8  (Image by Iafrate) ShareThis Less

Having problems in their relationship, Francesca Scala and ex-porn star Chase Cougar ask David Penn to join them in a threesome and become part of their 'healthy' triple. Check out the latest conversation from the best show on the web, Break a Leg! Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed Is the Internet destroying relationships that are happening offline? Some people may say “yes! This is destroying my real relationships”. What do you mean… ‘real’? My relationships online are just as real as though offline. You get to know people’s personalities online. Heck, often you get to know the “REAL” person more online, than you do offline. When you’re talking online to someone, you tend to open yourself up more. You don’t feel the need to hide behind makeup and clothes. You can just let yourself be you. I was doing “internet dating” before there even was such a thing. Heck, Ponzi and I met on an internet dating site. I don’t feel that the Internet has destroyed offline relationships. I feel it has allowed us to discover similarities with people that we may not have known before. It allows us to tear down barriers that would have been there in a ‘real life’ situation. I’m connecting with… and having a friendship or relationship… with people I would have never gotten to know otherwise. I have more in common with my online friends than I do with my next door neighbor. I appreciate my online friends for who they are, not for where they live or how they dress. Just because our connection happens digitally, so to speak, doesn’t make it any less real. My friend Andy Stanberry is here in the office with me as I’m recording this video. We met… guess where? Online! He flew into Seattle today to help me with developing some cool new things that we’ll be bringing you more information on shortly. He actually Twittered when his plane landed in Seattle and that’s how Kat found out that he was here. Wait. Kat! She’s my rock, my right-hand girl. Kat and I have a ‘relationship’, in that we are friends who met online, and she works for me. She got recognized in “real life” the other day, just for her participation on the stream and on Ventrilo. She was shocked, and I think a bit embarassed. You will all be ‘meeting’ Kat shortly. She’ll be here at my house for the day on April 12th, during her Seattle trip! We’ve all convinced her she has to come and say hello on the stream. So what are your thoughts about online/offline relationships? Let me hear from you! The Ultimate Home Tantra Course. Get Your Ex Girlfriend Back. Love-Dating-Romance Collection From Oprah Relationship Expert. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CSguQjQ256U"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CSguQjQ256U" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> Related Content: Shelly Farnham on Social Computing The Most Awesome Social Network Ever Pownce: Social Networks aren’t Identity Networks Creating Community Communication Silos What is Social Networking? Less

http://live.pirillo.com - Is the Internet destroying relationships that are happening offline? Some people may say "yes! This is destroying my real relationships". What do you mean... 'real'? My relationships online are just as real as though offline. Less

This group laugh was recorded at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. There were seven people in the trailer. Less

http://live.pirillo.com - MBonzo is a regular community contributor, who happens to be writing an eBook full of dating tips for Geeks. Here are his top five (or six!) tips. Less

Are you ready to exchange religion for relationship? In this message Joe Cuda relays 4 areas that will help you to exchange religion in your life for increased relationship with the Holy Spirit. Part 1 introduces the 5 part series. Less