Behavior and Habit

In the previous post I presented the learning progression that is used in the Training and Development industry, shown below, and stated that quadrant 4 is the quadrant that professional & leadership development organizations aim for; the quadrant that businesses such as success coaching, life coaching, e-therapy, executive/business coaching, and 1-to-1 counseling aim for as well.

• Quadrant I – You don’t know that you don’t know.
• Quadrant II – You know that you don’t know.
• Quadrant III – You know what you need to know and do, but it takes effort and concentration, which is not readily or easily done given stress levels of home and work life balance. This quadrant is not a natural state of being.
• Quadrant IV – You know and can do or say without thought, a natural state of being; an unconscious behavioral response to a given situation. A newly formed habit.

 Most importantly, I posed the following questions: If you look at the learning progression, how does one step from the conscious-behavior-modification quadrant (3) to the unconscious-habitual-response quadrant (4)? And why is it so hard for adults to reach it, thereby permanently improving their performance be it professionally or personally?

Some of you may ask yourself what qualifications do I have to make the allegation that most adults who want to change or modify their behavior usually don’t reach quadrant 4 and those who do are few and far between. I will answer it by saying that my qualifications are not a Ph.D. or having conducted empirical research on that subject. What I do have is almost a decade of working in the training and development field; analyzing data at level 4 of Kirkpatrick’s Evaluating Training Programs; years of reading books and academic articles on the subject of behavioral change and performance improvement; graduate studies in Instructional Training Systems; and, I will admit, years of counseling. I do not claim that this post is an academic one. It is the history of how Interlogues was born and the beliefs that drive it forward.

Change takes time and it cannot, does not, happen automatically after reaching quadrant 3 which is the transfer of knowledge that takes place in a course, seminar, or 1-to-1 sessions, to name a few. Additionally, an important part that is needed for change to occur is an understanding of the correlation between behavior and habit. That corrolation is at the core of behavioral change.

 To define "behavior" and "habit," I used several dictionaries but decided on an electronic dictionary so that you could see for yourself, if needed. The definitions of habit and behavior are these:

• Habit is an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition.
• Behavior is the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation. 

According to Carol Pierce-Davis, Ph.D. (TxHSP, FSMI, FICPP), a habit is by definition a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiological exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance; an acquired mode of a behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary; implies a doing unconsciously or without premeditation, often compulsively.

Additionally, Pierce-Davis states that people develop through life a core belief structure that dominates our experience of the world. It does so by generating an expectation that precedes us into whatever situation we enter. When our expectation meets a situation or event, we experience it in our own unique way. It is the product of a collision of expectation and reality. What follows instantaneously is a cascade of response: an automatic thought followed by physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses.

Therefore if behavior is driven by habit and habit is driven by automatic thought, then at the core of changing behavior is changing the initial automatic thought. The change is not a simple or easy process. It is tantamount to changing one's mother tongue. It is changing the language a person acquired early in life, a language in which the individual has been immersed lifelong. It is similar to the hypnotic programming Dr. Maltz described in his book, Psycho-Cybernetics that is resistant to change, having gained permanence through repetition and intensity.

Transfer of knowledge, i.e. learning, is complicated enough. Unlearning an old habit and learning a new one is particularly complex. At the onset of change and during the period between quadrant 3 and quadrant 4, there is an infinitesimal moment between stimulus and response that occurs at the subconscious level and it is then, at that infinitesimal moment, that a person must wedge his conscious thought.

According Stephen F. Covey’s Proactive Model in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, changing a habit consists of “The Freedom to Choose” which consists of self-awareness, imagination, conscious, and independent will. Covey writes that, “our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values. We have the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.”

I agree with Covey’s Proactive Model, but I believe that it takes more than self-awareness, imagination, conscious, and independent will to transform the triggered responses of a habit. These components do not come easily and freely to most people. According to study conducted by Wendy Wood, James. B. Duke Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University the key to changing habits is in the environment, and not willpower.

Moreover, the misplaced belief that will power or “The Freedom to Choose” alone change an unconscious behavioral response inadvertently sets up most individuals for failure and unfulfilled hopes because the change does not occur in the expected time frame or at the level of change where the triggered response longer takes serious conscious effort and concentration.

Janet Polivy and Peter Herman of Toronto University “describe this cycle of failure and renewed effort [at self-change] as a ‘false hope syndrome’ characterized by unrealistic expectations about the likely speed, amount, ease, and consequences of self-change attempts.” In their False Hope Syndrome Model the show six stages: Unrealistic Expectations, Commitment to change (feelings of control), Initial efforts (early success), Resistance to change (change stops), Failure/Abandon attempt, and Attributions of failure.

Another research study conducted by Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D., and James O. Prochaska, Ph.D., identified five stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. These stages became the cornerstone of their Transtheoretical Model of Change.

What I have attempted to show is that there are components missing in “The Freedom to Choose,” or the mainstream belief of what is needed to make behavioral change happen. These components are what Interlogues will provide with its proprietary system and tool that uses a methodology that may rely on one or more of the following concepts: andragogy; cognitive behavioral psychology; personality inventories matrices; second language acquisition techniques; internal dialogues and neuro-plasticity.

References:
Parts of this post were reviewed and edit by Carol Pierce-Davis Ph.D.

Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. (2004). New York, NY: Free Press.

Kegan, Robert, and Lahey, Lisa L. (2001). How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kegan, Robert. (1982). The Evolving Self: Problem and Process in Human Development. Boston, MA: President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Kentridge, R.W. Operant conditioning and behaviorism - an historical outline. [On-line].
http://www.biozentrum.uni-uerzburg.de/genetics/behavior/learning/behaviorism.html

Maltz, Maxwell, M.D. (2001) The New Psycho-Cybernetics. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Murphy, Joseph, Ph.D. (2008). The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.

Polivy, Janet, and Herman, Peter. “Effects of resolving to change one's own behavior: expectations vs. experience.” Behavioral Therapy. (2009) Jun;40(2):164-70.

Salomon, G. (ed.) (1993) Distributed Cognitions. Psychological and educational considerations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tennant, M. and Pogson, P. (1995) Learning and Change in the Adult Years. A developmental perspective, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Velicer, W. F, Prochaska, J. O., Fava, J. L.,Norman, G. J., & Redding, C. A. Detailed Overview of the Transtheoretical Model. (1998) [On-line].
http://www.uri.edu/research/cprc/TTM/detailedoverview.htm

What Sparked the Idea

The idea of Interlogues first came to me as a thought provoking response to my unspoken question. Not a sophisticated question, but a sincere one. Well, not even a question, but an exclamation. Well not even an exclamation, but a diatribe. I’ll explain in a bit.

The Rant. “I am so sick of this. I am stuck in this place between Conscious Competency and Unconscious Competency and it’s driving me crazy. Seriously! I have the want and need for change, the knowledge of what I should do and say, am conscious of the reasons, am self-aware, and use my will power to try and wedge a new response into that infinitesimal moment between stimuli and response, but I am still not any closer to the Unconscious Competency state than I was before. It’s not only an exhausting procedure, the sheer number of misses makes me fall flat on my face. Dios mio! Can change be any more difficult! [Exhale loudly]

“Feeling drained, on top of feeling inept because the change doesn't stick, is a recipe for losing hope, and giving up. The state of Conscious Competency sucks! Absolutely.  It’s unnatural and requires a lot of concentration. Who can concentrate when there are so many things going on at the same time? [Exhale loudly] [Pause] [Sigh] [Pause again] But there is no giving up on this. For the life I want, the life I want for my kids, I have to change this habit; change my habitual response. And do it now, not when they’re adults. Unconscious Competency. I have to make that leap. I have to. But how?"

The Response. There was a long moment of silence after which I either heard, saw, or felt (all in my head – God I sound insane) the answer. I could see it, but couldn’t really describe it or tell you how it worked. But I knew that if I saw it, I’d recognize it instantly. Yes, it does sounds crazier than the diatribe.

So I set out to find the tool I had in mind. I searched and searched, but couldn’t find it. I looked at so many industries: Success Coach, Life Coach, Self-Help & e-Therapy, Personal Development, Professional Development, Leadership Development, Executive/Business Coach, and 1-to-1 Counseling. But this tool wasn’t shown anywhere. At first I was surprised. Surely somewhere out there, someone had created it – that thing that was in my head.

Not finding one to purchase, I set out to build it. That was in May of 2006. It's been a trek and it's not getting any easier, but I am getting much closer to having the proof of concept – at least for my test use.

What’s that Conscious Competency and Unconscious Competency thing? It’s a matrix used in the Training & Development industry, and other industries as well I assume, that works like this:

• Quadrant 1 – You don’t know that you don’t know.
• Quadrant 2 – You know that you don’t know.
• Quadrant 3 – You know what you need to know and do, but it takes effort and concentration. This quadrant is not a natural state of being.
• Quadrant 4 – You know and can do or say without thought, a natural state of being; an unconscious behavioral response to a given situation. A newly formed habit.

What was the habit I needed to change? Tone of voice. I am still stuck between quadrant 3 and 4.  Next post I’ll write about behavior and habits… those things that I love. Really, I do.

Thoughts on Paul Graham's essays and Hackers & Painters

If two years ago I had known of Paul Graham’s essays or his book, Hackers & Painters,  I know I would be better off today. I cringe at the thought of all the time and money I have lost up to this point. But mistakes are what they are, and as the cliché goes, the mistakes have taught me a lot.

The reason why I know I would be better off is because his writings, to me, are like a startup GPS that talks. “So you want to start a startup? Alright then. Get the right gear man, and let’s go! North is this direction.”

A little later, the GPS talks again, “Read the sign posts, watch your head, duck – OUCH! That must have hurt. Here’s some hydrogen peroxide for that cut. Get back up, keep going.”

A little later, the GPS talks again: “You’re going the wrong way. Make sure to go West at the next crossroads and then go Northeast. Say what? No. Absolutely not! No R&R right now. Here, have some ramen and a drink of water. Keep walking.”

That is the kind of direction I need and needed.

It’s not that the compass I was using before was bad. It’s just that it did not, and does not, fit with the web-based startup in my head. The compass was based on numerous books on how to start your own business, non-profit organizations that provided free courses on drafting a business plan, a marketing plan, creating the projected financials (all of it is guess work so does anyone really take it seriously?), understanding a P&L statement, seminars on how to get investor funding, and legal advice, etc. It’s obvious to me now, that none of these folk were from Silicon Valley. A web-based startup does not fit into the mainstream way of doing things.

It sounds odd for someone like me, who is not a hacker, to be inspired by Paul Graham's writings. Believe you me, Hackers & Painters was like reading about a foreign world with its own culture, language, and way of life. Fascinating. It’s like a secret society that only the ones in it understand. Kind of like the Freemasons and their secret codes. I could never be a part of their world, but I feel confident when I say that I get it, I get their passion. And even though I am not a hacker, my idea needs one to make it happen, and this is why Paul Graham’s writings are a gift.

Elevator Pitch and the best ROI - Pitching Hacks

“Summarize the company’s business on the back of a business card.” —Sequoia Capital. That is so much easier said than done.

I have read numerous articles, blog posts, and books on starting a startup. My compilation boils down to some iteration of these must-have components: Problem, Solution, (or solution first and then how the product/service fixes a problem), Competition, Business Model (how will the company make money), and Team. And, don’t forget the wrap up.   All of this in a pitch.

My initial thought: "Seriously?"

I attempted to write several renditions that would include the components – but none of them worked for me, so they sure as hell wouldn't (and haven't) worked for an investor. But there is hope… I found a PDF, Pitching Hacks by Nivi and Naval. Pitching Hacks cost me 9 bucks and it is the best money I have spent on Interlogues. A must read. Truly.

The advice is succinct, explicit, with examples that I could understand. I felt and still feel inspired to create a pitch that works. Note that Pitching Hacks contains a lot more information than just the elevator pitch, but right now that is the only topic that interests me.

Pitching Hacks starts with this: “Investors don’t invest in businesses. They invest in stories about businesses. You can tell a story in a sentence; you can tell a story in a paragraph; and you can tell a story in a 20-minute pitch. Startups need to do all three.” Thinking of the pitch in three parts helped me tremendously.

The one sentence pitch, which Nivi and Naval call a high-concept pitch, is a single sentence that distills your startup’s vision. This one-sentence is not necessarily the tag line. It could be, but doesn’t have to be. The PDF explains the difference and why – with examples.  This was an Aha! moment. 

Nivi and Naval go on to say that in the one paragraph pitch, expand on the high-concept pitch and provide a segue into the 20-minute one.

Once you have the opportunity to give the 20-minute pitch, include the major components which are: “traction, product, team, and social proof. And investors care about traction over everything else.”  Read the PDF to find out more about each compenent.

So far I have this for my high-concept pitch: Interlogues is a Behavioral GPS Mechanism with a Blogger-like functionality.

The sentence pitch starts like this: A tool that takes any person from point A, a habit that impedes their success, to point B, a habit that promotes their success. 

I am working on the rest. Yay!

Thoughts on Steve Blank's Lean Startups aren’t Cheap Startups

I am quickly becoming a fan of Steve Blank.
Entrepreneur Corner.com introduced me to him and I now go to Steve’s site directly.  His post Lean Startups aren’t Cheap Startups is a valuable read. I wish it would have been at my hand’s reach back in January of 2009 when I began a series of mistakes that I have had to fix since April. Steve says this: “A Lean Startup is not about the total amount of money you may spend over the life of your startup. It is about when in the life of your company you do the spending."  When there is limited funding there is no such thing as “do-overs or iterations without onerous penalties.”  Isn't that the truth!

Steve goes on to write that the “key contributors to an out-of-control burn rate is 1) hiring a sales force too early, 2) turning on the demand creation activities too early, 3) developing something other than the minimum feature set for first customer ship.” Taking these steps before finding the product/market fit can be not only costly but destructive. His recommendation is to use the Customer Development process which boils down to this: “preserve your cash as you search for a repeatable and scalable sales model.”  I learned this lesson the hard way.  I try to see this mistake as being a short-term loss for a long-term gain, but some days it's hard to do.

The process that Steve writes about has two parts which are Iteration and Execution. Under iteration there are two steps: customer discovery and customer validation. The customer validation identifies the repeatable and scalable model.

As I read through this section of Steve’s post, I interpret his writing as a corroboration of the decisions I made to remove a content-layer from Interlogues. I believe that now Interlogues has a repeatable and scalable sales model.  It's a good thing, good place to be in this journey, but a costly one.

Now... let's not forget.  I still have to build the tool before I can sell it.

To get funding - to build the tool, I need to make a much better impression on investors, on anyone for that matter.  And to make a better impression, I need to improve my elevator pitch. It's not so good.  OK.  It's the pits.  I need to improve it dramatically.  So I am setting out to get it down to an art form.  I can hear you laughing, my good friends.  Really, no joke. I can curbe my passion of wanting to tell everyone every single boring (to them) detail about how great I think this tool is and will be.  So I'll get to working on creating that succinct and effective pitch.

Thoughts on Steve Blank's Do you have what it takes to be a founder?

Do you have what it takes to be a founder? is not only for founders but early and later stage employees. It poses 8 questions that steer us all in a direction of introspection; questions that require honest, and at times, verified answers.

I answered yes to all of the questions, except for the last one: “Are you articulate?” I used to think I was articulate until the people who worked for/with me for three months led me to the realization that I was not articulate. Sigh. We laughed about it - that I somehow expected them to be mind readers, and that it took several rounds of explanations for me to clearly express what I needed them to do (yes I was the butt of their and my own self-deprecating jokes). But that time spent in my miscommunication, did end up affecting my bottom line. I say, lesson learned and you bet that I have worked on that communication skill, diligently, since last April. As for the other questions, I am under no delusion when I say, You betcha! Claro que si! or Hai!

For future employees at the early stage of a startup, Steve gives advice which is also advice for future founders who are doing the hiring. “Early stage employees are ‘self-starters’ and show initiative rather than waiting for other people to tell them what to do or how to do it.” Amen to that!

But I believe that it needs to go a step further, that the “self-starters” and the founder(s) need to have a mental synergy for a startup to work well. Not to be confused with having similar personalities. It is the flow of energies emerging from different employees, from different directions which converge at junctures that are constantly changing; somehow the various energies naturally align into a single energy that propels the startup forward. Just my two cents.

Steve also suggests that employees can modify the 8 questions a bit, which is good. But he points out that the type of personality that would thrive in this environment is resilient, agile, and passionate about the work.

The attributes for the later stage employees are similar to the early stage employees but the chaos is not as intense. Departments begin to form naturally as do job responsibilities. However, at this stage of growth, there is still constant change so later employees also need to be agile and resilient, but the roller coaster is not going through a seemingly endless series of deep dives and steep climbs.

From any angle, the adventure, to me, sounds thrilling and I say let’s have at it!

Circumstance-Contingent Thinking

I read The Innovator’s Solution (not trying to be redundant I know that I wrote that in a previous post) and I wanted to share a point that stood out (many other points I confess went straight over my head). In the chapter "The Growth Imperative" the authors, Christensen and Raynor, C&R discuss theory and the forces that shape innovation. Theory is the process by which managers or people in decision-making positions make decisions. According to the C&R, “The problem is that managers are rarely aware of the theories they are using- and they often use the wrong theories for the situation they are in.”

I, at first, thought of my previous managers and their decisions and I personally understood C&R’s statement. But then I applied that statement to myself. I am not managing anyone but the thought that I am not aware of what theory I am using when making decisions about Interlogues resonated in me.

C&R don’t leave you out there, hanging. They give you the steps to build a solid theory, which they state requires three stages. I won’t reiterate here what those stages are, but refer to page 12&13 when (or if) you read that chapter. The second stage of categorization impacted me the most: Defining the right and relevant categorization of circumstances. “It is the ability to begin thinking and acting in a circumstance-contingent way that brings predictability to our lives.”

Wow and Wow! Circumstance-contingent thinking! For me that was huge. At first I was thinking about another way to position the tool but after a day of processing the information it hit me – bang – in the forehead. The decisions I have made in defining Interlogues have gotten too layered. My vision is big, but the tool and idea are really quite straight forward. I have a business plan and marketing plan that is too top heavy. It is not based on a circumstance-contingent type of thinking and decision making.

So, last week I removed a layer of complexity from Interlogues which opens it up to bigger possibilities for its customization and personalization. I tell you I was excited. It took a day or so after reading that chapter for me to reach this AHA! moment, but when I did reach it, I celebrated (in my own no party-like way)! I thank BTLE (the investor I introduced in a previous post) for gifting me the book. I read it and I hope you do too.

Recap: What Startups Are Really Like by Paul Graham

Paul Graham is amazing! If you do not know who he is, click Here. He is one of the founders of Y Combinator. I found out about him from a post on twitter RT @expert20: What Startups Are Really Like. The post had a link to an essay that Paul wrote on startups. Read the article here.

To recap, it’s his categorization of the responses he collected from an email he sent out to the founders of startups that Y Combinator had funded. The question he posed was what surprised them the most about starting a startup. His article provides an explanation on each.

1. Be Careful with Cofounders
2. Startups Take Over Your Life
3. It's an Emotional Roller-coaster
4. It Can Be Fun
5. Persistence Is the Key
6. Think Long-Term
7. Lots of Little Things
8. Start with Something Minimal
9. Engage Users
10. Change Your Idea
11. Don't Worry about Competitors
12. It's Hard to Get Users
13. Expect the Worst with Deals
14. Investors Are Clueless
15. You May Have to Play Games
16. Luck Is a Big Factor
17. The Value of Community
18. You Get No Respect
19. Things Change as You Grow

I have experienced many of these, if not most. I am hoping 16 and 17 will happen soon.
If you have thought about a startup or know of a friend how is, read the article. I am sure you will enjoy it and find it very useful.

Continued Groundwork

I have been reading The Innovator’s Solution. Very interesting. Christensen and Raynor write about thinking and acting in a circumstance-contingent way as well as other poignant messages. As I was reading the book yesterday morning, I thought of another way to position the tool. I am working that out in my head right now, but I am thinking that it has true potential.

The design and flow diagram for the tool’s frame is done - on paper only! It needs to be converted to a coding language that will make it work. I think that is how to describe the process. Computer science engineering is a foreign world to me. I need to ask an expert - obviously. I think I know who I can contact to do this. When my mom died, one of my brother’s old friends was there, whom I know as well. After speaking with him I found out that he is a programmer for Pay Pal and works here in Austin. Maybe he can do some freelance work… I’ll see where that goes.

After the meeting with BTLE and AFG, I have started looking, once again, for an attorney to discuss the options for creating a structure that can offer deferred compensation. Once I have this in place, I can pursue the programmer and resume working again, as needed, with the people who were part of the first three months of Interlogues. We were an amazing team! (Check out the photos on this blog).

Carol is working on the sample content. For the first round of testing, I am going to record audio files instead of video. I have to find several people willing to try it for 30 days and then be willing to answer a survey. I am currently writing the survey questions. Thank God for graduate school and having gained experience in writing effective survey questions. It’s much more complicated than one would think.

The criterion for the test group is not hard to fill, but having them use it without any compensation may be a bit of a roadblock. But I figure that there are those who will use it without pay. I just need to find 10 people for starters who have a Communication roadblock. Each one will select the sub-topic of their choice. I’ll put the audio files into the frame and distribute via a CD for starters.

God, I can't believe it is already 5:30. I only have one more hour before my kids wake up. I'll keep you posted. Have a great day!

Meeting with Investor Part 3

I called BTLE’s cell and he answered. He was very attentive to me being at the door and immediately one of the doors opened. I saw a very pretty blond woman who is around my age, maybe younger. I’ll call her AFG for Amiably Focused Gatekeeper. I braced myself for whatever was to come, and convinced myself that none of this was creepy. I stepped inside the office.

The gray, cold, and fortified exterior became an interior office filled with books! That same office I had seen when I had parked my car. AFG introduced me to BTLE and I smiled. Imagine an eccentric, white haired man whose smile and energy is bigger than life. He told me that he had read the results of the personality test and that I was a 7, an Enthusiast. I smiled (I had gotten a copy of the report as well and knew that already). Given the conversation that he and I had had on the phone and having read over all of the Riso-Hudson Enneagram types, I told him that I thought he was a 7 also. He smiled, his eyes reading me, and affirmed that he was.

So we meet. BTLE completely got what I want to build, but unfortunately the amount of money I need to build it is not within his range. Having been turned down by other investors, I did not sink back in the chair. A no to me just means that I have to look further for the yes. I wondered if he read what was on my mind, the unwavering thought that I am not giving up; that I will make this happen! (Some days are very deflating and a lot tougher than others, but giving up is not am option for me).

BTLE did not end the meeting at the point. Instead he brought AFG to the meeting. She is an attorney who is (from first impression) focused and sharp. The three of us conversed for a while longer about the issues I have been addressing since December ’08: types of funding, employee VS independent contractors, attorneys, legal contracts, and types of compensation.

Then 12 o’clock arrived. As I ended the meeting, BTLE handed me two books and told me that they were a gift. One of them is The Innovator’s Solution. I told him I couldn’t take them and he asked me why I couldn’t. No real reason why I couldn't accept his gift, so I thanked him for the books. I told him how pleased I was to have met him (I really didn't want to leave and wanted to keep on talking) and he told me I was in his energy field.

All went well. I suppose. I have no earthly idea what this was all about or if it even means something other than just being another experience to add to my long list. But how it all transpired was bizarre, so much so that I am sure I will think about it for days.

Meeting with Investor Part 2

My IP attorney had advised me not to talk to BTLE about my idea or the job until my patent was filed and I did as I was advised. When BTLE called me, I told him that I wanted to speak with him but it would have to be the following week. He said he understood and gave me his numbers for me to call him.

The patent was filed and so I called BTLE. Our conversation on the phone went well and we schedule an in-person meeting. He asked me if I would object to taking two tests. I didn’t mind and so he sent me the links. One was a personality test, Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator, and the other a test that looked like the SAT. The personality test was fun. I am a 7, Enthusiast. No surprise. Thank God that the SAT-look-alike test required a 2.5 hour block of time. My first available time of that duration wasn’t for two more days.

I drive to BLTE's office which is in a two-story building off of Capital of Texas Hwy. (There's a reason for this seeming rabbit trail, stay with me.) I parked my car, and I looked up to see an office with several large windows. Through those windows I saw walls covered in bookshelves and books. It made me instantly think of a room where ideas could easily be discussed. Wouldn’t that be a great place to work?!

I walked into the building. To me, the hallways were cold and gray and I got this feeling that made me question whether I should be there at all. I then found the doors to BTLE’s office. Two doors, each at separate ends of this hallway and both were locked. One had a laminated white piece of paper taped to the door that read: “Deliveries use next door. Knock loudly.” Next to this door there was a small plaque with the name of BTLE’s company and suite number. The other also had a laminated white piece of paper taped to the door that read, “Deliveries.” It felt creepy! Seriously.

But I knocked on the first door. Door doesn’t open. I knocked again on the other door and nothing. I called the office phone, and I could hear it ringing, but no one answered. The creepy factor was at an all time high. I decided to pin my husband with the note: “If I don’t show up for our 12:20 parent/teacher meeting it is because I am being held-up or am dead at this office. I am at ###street name, suite#.” Then I thought how Jeff would not take it lightly so I deleted the first part of the pin and just sent the address.

Meeting with Investor Part 1

What a day today. At 10:30 I met with an angel investor. I’ll call him BTLE for Bigger Than Life Enthusiast. How that meeting came about is interesting, at least I think it is, but it takes several paragraphs to create the picture.

Three weeks ago a recruiter contacted me via email about a position he was trying to fill. I’ll call him R. When R and I connected over the phone, he mentioned that he was recruiting for someone who was hiring people skilled in the e-learning field for a start-up.

Obviously I asked questions one of which was how he got my email? It was through my Beyond Linear’s website, which he got from Linked-In. While R and I talked, I searched for him in Linked-In and found him. R does have a history of recruiting, but his current employer doesn’t have a website. I thought that to be a bit odd. Even I, with my peanut-of-a-company, have a website. I asked more in-depth questions about the job, like who the SMEs would be, but got vague answers.

I figured someone was playing a prank and I decided to go along with R. But when R explained to me that the focus of this start-up was to develop a product that would be a new way to look at development, that it would use a lot of videos, and that its purpose was about the whole being. OK. I did stop breathing.

For those of you who know about my idea, you can well imagine how I felt. His description hit too close to home. I instantly wondered if any of the people whom I had disclosed my idea to had disclosed it to other people. I then thought about what a pain in the ass it would be to enforce the NDA that friends, family, employees, and/or consultants had signed.

Then, I thought about the meeting I had just had, that very morning, with my IP attorney. The patent application was on its way to being filed. Sigh of relief! No, I am not making any of this up. I swear. All of this in one day. So I resumed my breathing and my heart resumed its regular palpitation.

I ask R more questions on this someone who is looking to hire people and the answers that I got were that he is a man of independent wealth, who owns several businesses, and who also happens to be an angel investor. I swallowed and said nothing just yet.

R then tells me that he believes that I’d be a great candidate for the position he is trying to fill and that he was meeting with this man, BTLE, that afternoon to discuss all of the candidates. I tell R about my idea (no disclosure just overall kind of thing), that the a patent application for the idea was soon to be filed, and that I am looking for an investor. R was very willing to mention it to BTLE and we ended the conversation with the agreement that if BTLE wanted to meet me, he’d call me.

And three days later, as I was on my way to pick up Tomás from school, BTLE called me.

First day... Patent Application Filed

Good Morning! I decided this morning to start blogging about Interlogues™ and my path to making it happen. Why start this blog today? Because it is the day my attorney has filed the patent to my idea, process, and tool. Yahoo! Yahoo!

Did I mention that the preliminary patent filing costs "some" money? And that when you don't have any money, that "small" amount is a fortune! So I have just spent the fortune that I don’t have to spend.

I do make less-than-some money with Beyond Linear but that is pocket change for what I need to fund my dream of Interlogues. But… I am not thinking of that right now. Another Yahoo for this milestone! It's taken almost 3 years to get to this point. An exciting day for me!

Next is the process for filing the Utility Patent. I have one year from today to complete that final step which costs "a lot" of money. (I close my eyes, look up, and pray). I figure that I will find the way to get this double-fortune (my translation to "a lot" of money).

As I celebrate my day (can't really call it celebration when my day is moving along as if it were just any other day, but in my heart I am celebrating), I think about the debt that I have incurred up to now. (I wince). I even owe the IRS some money.

But somehow even with these thoughts in my head, my heart and spirit are strong. I am not deterred from pushing this forward. I figure I can arm wrestling whoever or whatever gets in my way. And as I build up my biceps, I envision Interlogues’ success.

Cheers to my patent application number!