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1: Act 1 Scene 1
On the 28th of January 2006, I joined Ecademy, having come across it as part of my ongoing research and investigation into blogging, social networks, and ‘web 2.0′ in general. Within ten minutes, I knew that PowerNetworker status was the only sensible starting point, and I also recognised that Ecademy had something that an Israeli company I’d been working with needed – and vice versa. I wrote to, and had a response from, Thomas and Penny Power, the very next day.
By February, Ecademy had a deal on the table with Conduit to create the Ecademy Toolbar, and I was beginning to recognise that by sharing ideas and contacts, I might not be getting paid for “the deal” in cash, but I was earning goodwill from all the parties I brought together. Goodwill, in my years of building businesses, I consider is more valuable than money – because you can’t buy it – you have to earn it – and when you need to spend it – it’s inflation-proof.
I started to recognise that my skills could be used in Ecademy in a very specific way: to rewrite profiles, and market place adverts. After all I am a journalist, copy writer, photographer, designer, can code HTML and tell a story. So the “profile makeover” service was created. After honing my talents on a few willing friends and volunteers at Ecademy, I finally managed to persuade Thomas Power that I should rewrite his profile in July 2006. When he published the result and posted a blog about it, I soon realised that I had just invented an industry. By October of 2006, I had a constant three week waiting list of customers, and they were almost half referrals from existing customers.
I decided that I should investigate joining BlackStar: for two reasons. 1) Some of the best networkers in Ecademy were Blackstars; 2) Many of my customers were Blackstars; and 3) The energy and focus these people all seemed to have intrigued me, as did the idea of a wealth profile – something that I kept seeing and hearing about.
In correspondence and meetings with Thomas and other Black Stars, I saw that being “a member” somehow helped other Blackstars to get to the point quickly, establish a level of intimicy and trust that seemed almost automatic, intuitive. I also read up on wealth profiles and the work of Roger Hamilton. I decided to apply in December, filled out an application form, and had an interview of about an hour and a half, at the end of which, I was accepted as a member.
I made my payment, and within two hours, was astonished to see that I had an inbox message welcoming me to BlackStar. What? How did that colleague know so soon? I looked at my profile summary, and it suddenly dawned on me: my little membership icon had changed from orange to black. I was a BlackStar.
It was the 29th of December, 2006. I did not quite know it then, but I had the most stimulating, fulfilling and rewarding three weeks of my life ahead of me, which were beautifully crystallised on Monday 22nd January, at my first ever (and I hear the biggest ever) BlackStar Monthly Meeting in London.
(Free MP3 Recorded version of this story will be available shortly – just send an email to blackstar25@searchsuccess.net and you’ll get to grab it when it’s edited.)
2: Breakfast at Paddington
The clever way to get from the capital of Scotland to the capital of England is by the overnight sleeper train. Thus I had a full day of time spent with my wife and daughter on Sunday with a swim, sauna and catch up with the newspapers at The Scotsman Health Club, which is a few steps from Edinburgh’s main Waverley Train Station – which is where I left from at just after 11pm.
My neighbour in the berth (even BlackStars buy APEX tickets and travel standard class) was working with VSO to interview and select candidates and was travelling to London for a days’ training. We chatted for half an hour or so, before saying goodnight and turning in. At around 6:45am, as agreed, the steward knocked on the door and delivered my breakfast (big coffee) and my neigbour Alex’s (orange juice) along with a croissant, muffin, a delightful oaty cereal dessert hybrid. After a wash and freshen up, I used the complimentary toothbrush, flossed, rinsed, and was bright eyed and (almost) bushy tailed on a Euston Platform by 7:30am. I called a fellow Ecademy member, who was also attending this first BS day, and we confirmed a meeting point at Paddington to have a one to one meeting over a cup of something to warm up what was a rather wintry day.
We spent forty five minutes or so in discussion and I learned that all new Blackstars who were at the meeting were expected to do a lightning elevator pitch presentation which would also be broadcast via webcast, and recorded for other BlackStar Members. We agreed we should try to keep introductions brief as could be, introduce just one idea, and to be sure to specify how others might help us or connect us with others, rather than just “pitch” to them. We have a lifetime to pitch to people, so best to just say hello to start.
We walked the ten minutes or so to the venue, seeing Little Venice, a lovely corner of London many people don’t realise is there. That was another benefit of BlackStar Membership – the Forum had inside information on how to avoid using the Undergound, save time, and get some fresh air by taking this route! On arrival at the Amadeus Centre, we knew we were in the right place, seeing familiar faces moving in and out to unload cases of wine from the back of a car. We helped out to carry a case or two inside from the rain – this was all the gift of a Blackstar Member to the members – for a lunchtime slurp, and at least a bottle a head set aside for those who liked to take home the Portuguese bottled sunshine on offer.
Inside the venue, a camera on a high level tripod and web broadcast kit dominated my first impression, but the hall at a glance had great acoustics, and I saw a table top mic and knew just where to pitch my voice at a glance. The seating was a horseshoe layout facing a presenters table, in three rows, and I was slightly intrigued by crash-mats in the centre of the horseshoe. Later, I’ll see why they are there when two Ecademy members start attacking each other with deadly weapons…
I notice that on each seat, there is a playing card, face down, with a number visible. I choose Number 1. I know it will have a significance, and I choose my seat instantly, and drop my coat over it to mark it as my own. I pick up the card. Four of hearts. Of course it is…
3: Face the Camera
But then, a strange thing started to happen. People began to arrive, walk over to me, and say hello. I recognised faces (and the odd name) and began to feel more relaxed. I realised that there would be a few introductions and warm-up before being frogmarched in front of camera and having the spotlights go up.
The Chairman made a formal and facilitating role of chairing the day look easy, and set a serious but relaxed tone with his introductory remarks. Our host for the day was the BlackStar member who visited me in Edinburgh a few months ago, and who helped persuade me (quite indirectly) that belonging to Blackstar was something worth considering very seriously. He is a very unserious person (hilarious at times) but that fronts a very focused mind and generous spirt.
And then, it is upon us – more than twenty brand new Blackstar Members are mobilised into action to queue up and impart the following introduction: State your name, state your business, state where you are from, and tell us why you joined Blackstar. And don’t hang about.
“David Petherick, from Edinburgh, makes words make sense, tried to do so in Thomas and Penny’s profiles (I gesture to the two of them), and perhaps I can do the same for you? Now. Why did I join Blackstar? (I look around the room, I see faces I know, familiar faces, all seem well disposed to me. I’ve forgotten the camera, other than remembering not to wave my hands around too much.)
I pause for a slight theatrical effect. As soon as I see an eyebrow of puzzlement rise to ask ‘Has he forgotten his script? Run out of words?’ I deliver my punchline, created in that very instant: “Because you’re worth it.” – and I gesture inclusively to the faces around me, and exit stage right to laughter and what I think is appreciate applause. Thank you, Revlon.
I pass up to the back of the room, to listen to the next speaker. A face I recognises appears next to me by the entrance to the hall, and I’m able to brief this new arrival on the fact that he needs to get up to the front of the room and do that stuff. I am able to run through what’s been asked of new members twice, and am happy to see him deliver a flawless, concise, and witty address a few moments later.
As I applaud, I realise a figure standing next to me is actually waiting for me to acknolwedge their presence – it’s a customer, collaborator and colleague with whom I have a lengthy meeting scheduled for the next day. We both smile, shake hands, and sit down to listen to further introductions. It is prior to the introduction of the day’s host that I realise people are shifting their seats, looking around the room, greeting new arrivals and nodding, waving across the room to others. Then, as I sit in my back row seat with a few empty seats still around me, and where I can see how the webcast is coming across on the computer screen, two separate individuals have gravitated towards me, and I have new neighbours on either side of me. The presentation from the host has started, so they don’t speak, but I realise that with this simple, and quite silent gesture, that I have just been welcomed in the very nicest way in to BlackStar. Of course I have.
4 Fantastic Freddie & the Kung Fu Non-fighters
I’m sorry – but you had to see this. It doesn’t do justice to describe this verbally – you had to see it and hear it. You could, if you joined BlackStar – it was in the live broadcast, and is added to the archive. There is also one of the member’s mindmaps with a summary of the messages, but really, it’s one of the things where being inside a building, with those people, on that day, and at that moment in time, you were in the moment.
A sense of occasion, fun, an off-the-wall and different perspective, a reminder about gentle ways of dealing with things, other ways of seeing opportunity and threat. And just energy.
The energy you get when ninety people are laughing and learning all at the same time, and they know that ever single person in that room has bought into, and has committed to the same vision is quite extraordinary.
I passed Thomas Power just a few moments before the next element of the day was to begin. He caught my eye, bent his knees, made a winking gesture, and swapped his coffee to the other hand, to give my arm a squeeze. “Do you see it now, David?”. I nodded and smiled. “Yes, I do.” He smiled back: “This is what you don’t see outside BlackStar.”
And when you are in, You do. In a New York second. Clearly. You feel you belong. You know you have to share to keep deserving to belong. And you know that you win, emotionally and financially, through that process. It’s a fact. I can tell you. I saw it clearly at that moment, and all the doubts, all of the cynicism and tyre-kicking and negativity and bad energy and negative whining I had experienced in a year of Ecademy Membership were put neatly in one place: history. The past you learn from, but the future you need to make. Of course you do.
5: The Virtual Table
Here is the format: A randomly selected group of people sit down together (it’s the turn of a card). They briefly introduce themselves to all of the group.
Then a facilitator, or leader, is found, to keep to this agenda: Each person gets a set amount of time to raise an issue. Business or personal, perhaps one or two issues. And after a few minutes of questions to clarify that issue, each of the others gives them feedback, ideas, contacts, connections, reflections, thoughts. The recipient is silent, until all of the feedback is given. And then they respond briefly to the feedback they have heard. And then the next one. And it’s brilliant.
The result, for me, was spectacular. Of course it was. It’s confidential, of course.
6: The Open Bottle and Open Shutter
A member had brought their own branded wine from their Portuguese vineyards, and there was a glass or two for everyone over lunch, and a bottle or two to take home. Having helped unload the wine from the car as it had been raining earlier in the morning, I felt I’d earned an extra glass (and an extra bottle to take to my host in London).
Lunch did not start with a surge towards the fodder (even though what was served was fantastically tasty). Instead, there was a growing hubbub of conversation, greetings, handshakes, gestures across the room, chats in corners and at tables in the rooms below the main auditorium. I catch the eye of my Portuguese friends, and say hello with my awful 5-word knowledge of the language, but we slide into Castillian Spanish and English readily. I agree to help round up and photograph Ecademy’s Penny and Thomas and Glenn and William for a “pack shot” with the member, the wine, and the Ecademy faces.
The camera of course, happens to be one I am easily familar with. Of course it is – I’m in the flow, and of course they naturally have fallen upon the only Portuguese speaking ex-photographer in the room. I’m smiling to myself thinking that there are more likely five or six others who fit the description, and a few moments later, the subjects for the photographs have been isolated, manipulated, and photographed. Which leads me into conversation with another new face… I accept a glass of wine “muito obrigado”, and begin to mingle randomly, and occasionally purposefully, and seek out the first of my one-to-one discussion partners for the afternoon.
The queue for the food is actually like a line-up of conversation opportunities, and it’s almost time to head upstairs for the one to one sessions before I manage to get a plate full of food. I decide it’s best to take the plate upstairs. E o vinho vermelho, naturalmente. Of course.
7: The 121s
The one-to-one sessions were, at my invitation, filled by individuals who wanted to speak to me. They booked my time to suit their agenda with the Ecademy Meeting function.
We didn’t always have time to say all we wanted, but we got to know each other a little better, and for two and a half hours, I asked and answered questions, wrote down answers, gained knowledge, shared ideas, in an atmosphere of 100% trust and confidentiality.
All of the discussions were useful, informative, and intimate. Of course they were.
8: The 4xForum
BlackStar Membership also has a very unique tool, called a BIC. It’s not a ballpoint pen, but it’s just as revolutionary a change from tradtional “Club” format as the Biro was a radical and genius step away from the quill and ink, or fountain pen. BIC stands for BlackStar Inner Circle. Any BlackStar can start one. Note: One – singular. So choosing the theme and the members (a maximum of eight) would, you would assume, be a task that would take a long time.
Remarkably, little more than a month into existence, there are 30+ BICs, and many are full. I created my own BIC, and in a few days, without inducement, I have five fellow members. They have all self-elected their membership – some are quite well known to me, others less so, but all joined my BIC without ever having met me. Of course they did. The wealth profile indicates that I am a supporter, so that is the position on the “grid” of the BIC that I occupy on the front page of the BIC.
I had applied to join the Film and Video BIC in January, and was delighted to be accepted. Another member saw that my meeting 1-2-1 with another BIC member was an opportunity for us to meet as a group (5 of us). So we did. I introduced the host of the day to the group as an observer of our group. And it turned somehow into 7 or 8 and overlapped into another 1-2-1 that I had.
We developed ideas, and we might just have a concrete project to run with. And we know each other well. And although many of the people sitting around in this little group might be in conventional terms thought of as competitors, they were sharing contacts and advice openly. Of course they were.
9: The Q&A
Questions demand Answers, and this session allowed frank and open exchange between Members and Ecademy management. Anything and everything was discussed, with the online questions providing a great deal of detail, and some very hard questioning.
I had a point. and when the answer came back, everyone was laughing – not another bloody Scotsman on the make! I was laughing too. Of course I was.
10: Blatant Plugs
This was fun. Just like a conventional meeting for a change. Everyone got up to flog their event, their project or idea.
One member from our Virtual Table of the morning, added herself in – she stood up and followed our advice. With a visual image of a Black Star (it’s a gemstone) being carried to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a rucksack, and being left there, an image that I had created was thus placed into the minds of everyone in that room. (This also got the laugh of the day when the host intervened to suggest that a BlackStar who is well known for his “cuddly” stature should be the Black Star riding piggyback in the rucksack).
The image was in place: a Black Star on a volcano, a plaque on a new school in Tanzania. Around twenty minutes later, she had raised £1400 to help build a school and climb a mountain. Because she asked for other people’s advice on the issue. 11am: Zero. 5pm £1400, with £400 in cash from the pockets of the members there on the day, simply taken with 20 minutes passing the hat round. And a web site, ecommerce function, PR, all lined up. Belonging. Sharing. Winning. We were all rather proud of our efforts.
As the day was lengthening, I decided not to plug my Barcelona Masterclass on February 12th. Well, not until now. 
And so then we headed off, and a good proportion made it round the corner to the Pub by the canal, but first were directed to collect a bottle of wine or two to take home with the compliments of Ecademy Portugal.
11: Waterway to Carry on
The Waterway Pub had excellent food, a lovely open fire, chilled and comfortable ambience, and the kind of lighting that you just don’t notice – it’s just done right to make the atmosphere work as the evening moves on. And on it went. I can almost photographically place people around me, and then the next conversation or handshake, kiss of the cheek, or squeeze of the arm or shoulder.
A few drinks among a cheerful group of friends. And then some ideas started to get throwon around, some notes made, cards exchanged, questions put, referrals made. Networking. Of course it is. I had a sense of – yes, belonging, sharing, winning.
And I somehow couldn’t put my hand in my pocket to buy more than one or two drinks. Others did that. And I had some great conversations, and have some specifics to follow up on.
And a few Ecademy Members who had not been able to make it to the day’s events were there – including (of course) someone who wanted to meet me, and thank me for some help and advice. Of course he did.
12: Drams in the Night
I am proud to record the fact that two Scotsmen were the last BlackStars to leave the premises, having stayed on to undertake arduous quality control tests on the Scottish Whisky being sold on the premises. This is in fact a new Act passed by the Scottish Parliament, to ensure the continued high quality of exported Scottish goods.
I am happy to report that The Lagavulin and The Oban are of high quality in the Waterway, Formosa Road, Little Venice London W9 – gaining a five thistle award from Quality Assured Urquhart & McLean Advocates & Associates (Fine Government Act), also known as QAUAAFFINGA 5 STAR. Of course it is. Aye.
13: The Midnight Recruiter
There’s a phrase you might hear around Ecademy – “A Friend in every City”. Well, I have made a few more friends in London, but it was to the house of an old friend to stay over that I travelled – a straight underground journey to Mansion House near St Paul’s. As I crossed over the road I looked over to admire the nighttime view of Christopher Wren’s Masterpiece, and a few moments later I had a plate of Russian Borscht with sour cream laid before me, and my host decided we should immediately sample the Portuguese wine.
By 2am, we decided it was time to call it a night. I must have inspired something with my tales of the day’s events, because he fired up his computer and joined Ecademy as a PowerNetworker on the spot. I didn’t even remember to tell him I could give him a month’s free trial. of course I didn’t.
14: The Morning After
You know that sometimes only a full English Breakfast served by a charming French waitress can really set you up for the day? Well if you don’t, I can give you the address – it’s a step away from Cannon Street station, and it’s £5 including tea or coffee. And thus I had a hearty and cholestrol-rich start to my day with my friend Anton Palitsyn, now of course also a member of Ecademy.
I moved on to a meeting with a BlackStar contact made through Ecademy and had an extraordinary meeting over three or more hours which turned up some real gold, and a sparkling insight that took my breath away with its simplicity. We moved closer to being potential business partners. Of course we did.
15: The Afternoon Executive
I travelled to meet another Ecademy member, with whom I’ve been talking and planning things for months. We sat down to examine the status quo of our projects and put this into the framework of our wealth profiles. We’re both the same profile, and we both therefore make the same classic mistakes. Too many ideas, too little execution.
So we stopped that. Between 14:30 and 22:45 we got focus. We went through everything. We selected the project, we burned through the bad ideas to the simple good ones. And we have a game plan. We nailed it. We got focus. An action plan. A launch date. We got rid of the bad ideas, and we ran through all of the ways to simplify and beautify the system. Of course we did.
I remembered the most important element of the day: I had to buy my little girl a lollipop from Hamleys or Liberty. My colleague had local knowledge – Hamleys, and sugar free. And he insisted on buying the lollipop. Of course he did.
Later in the afternoon, I spoke to my daughter and my wife. I forgot to speak English, and was surprised by the quizzical look when I finished the call. Oh! Sorry. Yes, that was all in Russian. I do speak Russian. Of course I do.
16: The Evening Recruiter
We took a break from our brainstorming, and got onto the topic of BlackStar. My associate asked me a simple question about BlackStar, which I answered with what can be seen on the Ecademy site: The price. He stopped. What? I can pay that per month? Yes. Oh. Of course you can.
I do think he’ll be at the next BlackStar meeting introducing himself. After a bite to eat and a drink in the pub across the road from his home, I left to get the train at Euston, stopping to buy a little snack for the journey at a late night store. In the queue behind me, a girl struck up a conversation. She was from Scotland. Of course she was.
Having the advantage of no neighbour in the sleeper compartment to wake up, I worked through until about 2:30am on my iBook in the lounge area before heading to bed, and mapped out my whole set of new projects and checked and summarised notes from the past two days. And I laid my head down to sleep with a smile on my face. Of course I did.
17: The Inbox After
As I write my first draft of this article, it’s getting towards 5:37am on Thursday morning. Notwithstanding 48 hours on the road and working through to 3am on Wednesday morning, I have perfect focus and energy for writing this.
I want to write this. I need to. And looking at my inbox when I got back (email on the road can just dissipate one’s energy) I see that I have orders for profile makeovers. I have offers. I have requests for more information. Ideas. Suggestions. Contacts. More contacts. Two Blackstars say I looked good on camera. I must refer them to an optician…
I have some payments coming to me early from Italy, and one of my companies, in its 11th year, just made sales of £1.08m. Of course it did. Well done team.
I’m winning by sharing. I feel really good now that I belong. How are you feeling about things?
David Petherick
(Free MP3 Recorded version of this blog will be available shortly – just send an email to blackstar25@searchsuccess.net and you’ll get to grab it when it’s edited.)
![[speaka]](http://also.cc/images/cc-speeka-100wh.gif)
David Petherick makes words make sense.
Join my Barcelona Profile Masterclass on February 12
or why not buy me a pint virtually if you can’t be there?
