Between Time

The stymied publisher and the entrepreneur are absent today's meeting. They got a call from the U.S. Census and as we speak are reluctantly sitting in a training class at $22/hour. Better than a hockey puck in the ear, I suppose. Thus only three of us are available to carry the Tiger Team ball, the corporate VP, the attorney/politico and myself. We decided a field trip is the way to go. We assemble precisely at 9am at a Peet's at the corner of Fillmore and Sacramento. It's apparent that we are authentically happy to see one-another. Tis old friends we've become.

As the struggling artist in the group, I report my dismay at find no short-term gigs to fill-in the gaps created by a less than regular cash flow. The U.S. Census folks never called. The Whole Earth Expo folks did not get back to me. Plus another eight bios or resumes or writing samples that went out generated no activity, i.e. interviews. What I did accomplish during the last week was to make measurable progress with my marketing plans designed to flaunt my services as a business communications specialist. My new Website for BC&C launches on May 27th. What are my goals for this upcoming week? I've got to get the requested 101-page script for Olives for Camille printed and mailed to the literary agent asap. Also, I have six days to write the outline for the first act of Between Time for my retainer, the ex-punk rocker. And so, I will go into a state of solitude for the next 6-days. Each Tiger Team member makes a note to watch and see how much can create in a week. I'm eager to see myself pull this one off too.

The corporate VP speaks of enthusiastically about the best experience of his week: three mock interviews at the JVS (Jewish Vocational Center). He's flying to Florida for interviews in two weeks and these mock interview sessions will allow him to practice his skills with a volunteer professional - and at no cost. Yes, Ringling Brothers is interested. Joining the circus - I'm so jealous.

The attorney/politico is pleased just to arrive on time at this morning's meeting. Seems he's been running late all week. He accomplished his first week of socializing with his new eight, law partners to-be. Big changes are headed for this man's life. He admits he's nervous and would not want to take all this on without the Tiger Team as support. When the meeting is over we head for the Pet Hospital/Kennel/Adoption Center. Unfortunately, the center doesn't open for another hour. So as it turns out, he is on his own. We are all on our own.

If Dog is the Answer, What is the Question?

The weather is cold. The sky is sapphire. The sunrise is brilliant. From my vantage point on this little island in the middle of the Bay, the great ships of maritime commerce move slowly about in every direction.

Being ten minutes late, I'm the last to arrive at the home of today's host and facilitator, the attorney/politician. The door is answered by the elderly Asian woman. With a respectful bow and a bright smile, she indicates I should follow her up the grand staircase. The entire ground floor and broad staircase remain as they were a month ago: devoid of furniture and the like. When we reach the second floor things change. On thick Persian rugs, we move silently past remarkable antique, Western European furniture and stunning Expressionist Art into a spacious, high-tech conference room/office. That's when I begin to feel as though I'm in a Bond film. There, standing in the sun that pours through a skylight. sipping their coffee, is the Tiger Team waiting for my arrival. I called ahead, of course. With a quick exchange of greetings, the host suggests we begin at once, given that we will be ending precisely at our usual time. As we take our seats, fresh coffee and croissants are made ave available.

The attorney/politician requests the floor. He dramatically leans forward in his chair. "I have a personal question. I'm a little embarrassed. How do you all get up early and ready to go each and every morning? I've failed at it miserably all my life. Lately I can't even come up with a good reason why to get up at all." We discuss access to alarm clocks, both high and low tech, and the importance of placement of the devices in the room. But it's the businessman who offers, "Well, I just have two dogs, and they have always set my days in motion bright and early." The entire Tiger Team looks at one another. It's the corporate VP who shouts out, "Get a dog!" The attorney grins like a kid getting his first puppy, "I've always wanted a dog." The entire process took less than five minutes and it's changing his life. That's why Success Teams work. The chance of paradigm-shift is always in the wings.

The publisher is on the edge of her chair. "Imagine this," she says. " A girl of thirteen sits on the floor in the corner of her bedroom, amid all the clutter, to begin her homework. She opens an electronic book. Her fingers move across the bottom and the pages turn and she begins to read. She does not know all of the words, but with a light touch of the screen she sees the definition and, if she so desires, hears the correct pronunciation. She reads on and when she gets tired, the book will help her sound out the words or even read the whole story to her - or tell it to her with moving pictures. I didn't discover this new world, but that's where I'm headed: online publishing."

The Tiger Team is rockin'. Next week, two of our members will be absent. And so there will be a field trip - our first. The corporate VP and I are taking the attorney out to find a dog. He hasn't signed off on this idea yet. But he will, don't you agree? Martinis at the Top of the Mark might be an inducement if one is required.

Half-Time in the Locker Room

After the fresh baked cinnamon rolls and Italian roast coffee are served, the meeting begins. As today's facilitator, I suggested that, given we have reached the half-way mark of our enterprise, it's a traditional time for each of us to pause and speak of our degree of success during the prior first-half of "the game," as well as our game plan during the second half. As with all games the goal is to win. What does that mean to each of us?

The former corporate vice-president reports that as he was trudging through the dark in Golden Gate Park looking for the homeless for the U.S. Census, enduring the drenching rain and his own terror of ill-tempered pit bulls, he had an epiphany. He's decided that his Degree in Business Administration could be better used with his seldom spoken about desire to join the Ringling Brothers Circus. Yes, he can juggle flaming objects, but that's not the goal. He wants to be Ringling's international tour manager. That is his fresh aspiration. Now that's news. Let the second half begin.

The publisher has installed her new computer, arranged her new filing system during one sleepless week and is now ready to investigate the new world of publishing with the advent of Google's I-Pad and the public's apparent turning away from ink print on paper. Let the second half begin. (How I long for the old days)

The business man (with the good ideas) informs us that his wife of 22-years is annoyed with his constant goal setting, i.e. daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, and calendar year goals. He believes that becoming rich would have been more rewarding if he had planned it, rather than just awakened each day with a new set of fires to put out and launches to perform. Nowadays, he claims to set only performance goals each day, not outcome goals. "You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. There is nothing more dispiriting than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control. In business, these could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy."

It seems to me that, with my half-time sports analogy, these reasons could include poor refereeing, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck. I agree. If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them. Even if your significant-other thinks you're over the top.

Next week - back to Buena Vista Island.

Is Compromised Ambition, Ambition?

The attorney and I were both to catch a ride, with the corporate-type, over to this morning's meeting. However, we each got word last night that he will not be attending due to a cattle-call from the U.S. Census folks about a temporary eight-hour gig. At $22.00 an hour, that is, I suppose, the good news. The bad news is that he had to meet his fellow census takers in front of the DeYoung Museum at 1:30 on this cold and rainy morning. Their assignment is to count the homeless in Golden Gate Park - in the dark. We can assume that that would be the folks living in the bushes with their pit bulls. The moment a flashlight is shined in their eyes, won't they yell something like, "Get 'em, Fido?" Film at eleven.

Left to our own devices, I take Muni and the attorney grabs a cab. We manage to arrive just as the meeting is about to get underway. I'm asked to get us started. You may recall that my purpose for joining a Success Team was to add octane to my plans of expanding my services from Screenplay Writer to Screenplay Writer/Business Communications Writer. At the moment I'm stalled at the necessity to create a website that describes my new services. Once that's in place the plan is that I will use Google Adwords advertising to herd those searching online for services such as mine to the website. In addition to that,just yesterday, I received a check to get underway on a treatment for a script based on the story by a former English punk-rocker. The first five-pages are due next Tuesday. That pretty much eliminates any free time over the upcoming weekend. And on top of that, I've also chosen this moment to continue on a script (a romantic comedy) set in California's olive country. It's about the humorous roles people play in their everyday slippery existence and what can happen when life throws them an unexpected, extra-virgin curve ball. My Tiger Team sees this as an unnecessary project that compromises my stated ambitions. Can't I do it all?

The attorney is next up to bat. Much to everyone's surprise he informs us that during the past week he has accepted a high-paying position with a prestigious law firm. He's to start in ten-days but is already having second thoughts. His obvious uncertainty about his immediate future reveals, the team suspects, that he is on the wrong path. Has he compromised (there's that word again) his true ambitions?

Next week we meet at my flat out in the Richmond District.

Paper Tiger

I arrive in No. Beach early with an expectation of smelling sour dough baking and hearing the Italian language being spoken. Coffee at Trieste is the place to start. At the counter I glance over to the corner table where Coppola sat, week after week, working on his Oscar winning film script "Patton." In his chair sits today's Tiger Team host, the publisher. She tells me that since becoming "idle" and being forced to live off savings, each day starts at Trieste. "Before coffee I agonize over what the end result of my day's efforts will be. Always my day improves, ever so slightly, after a visit here."

I'm reminded that a "paper tiger" is defined as someone who is outwardly strong and powerful, but is in fact powerless and ineffectual. I wonder what the opposite of a paper tiger is. It occurs to me that each of us on the Tiger Team is, to some degree, outwardly powerless and ineffectual, but is in fact strong and powerful. Is it precisely that self image that must be coaxed away from us? Do we seem to cling to it. Has it become our new identity?

We head for her apartment located down an ally up on Telegraph Hill. When the team is seated at her long dinning room table, the meeting starts when the business man eagerly asks to kick things off. Seems he's identified three ways that goals might affect his performance. This should be good. I implore him to continue. "One, goals narrow my attention and direct my efforts to goal-relevant activities. Two, goals can lead to more effort as I will work more intensely than I would otherwise in order to reach the goal. Three, goals influence persistence. I become more prone to work through setbacks or to work harder if pursuing a goal." Words to the wise from a new born, goal setting zealot. Well, it's a start.

The publisher declares that she will focus on her next career-building steps as soon as she completes the installation of her new computer system and the organizing of her extensive files. In response to the team's skepticism, she says, "I know time is flashing by. Each morning when I look into the mirror I wonder how long I can maintain a middle-aged status." I suggest, "For some time, my dear. For some time, indeed." She throws me a playful kiss from the other end of the table. The team chortles. We plow on. The Internet has changed the dynamics of publishing and her dream is to seize some new opportunity she trusts will magically appear. Probably not a good strategy. Find other options is the groups thinking. The laid-off corporate type suggests taking a specialized computer class.

We are growing closer as a group, and are more willing to trust as if we are old friends. Next week we head for the AT&T Park area. That's where the business man will host session number four. He lives in a loft. I love lofts. Americans love lofts.