I have a confession to make: I don’t like to follow rules. I challenge authority. I love new ideas and ways of doing things.  One of my colleagues once called me a “maverick.”

Oh, sure, I wear my seat belt and stop at red lights. I teach my son to have good manners. I vote and behave well in polite company.

But I’m just idealistic and nonconformist enough to believe that if a small group of people come together to develop new ideas on how to do good work and spread the word that we can change the world one person at a time.

How do I know this?  I see it every day in my office, out in my community, on my webiste, on twitter, YouTube and itunes.  I hope you see it in your world, too.  Just one idea, self-discovery, empathic comment or “a-ha” moment can absolutely change someone’s life.  Do you see it, too?

Yet, as helping professionals I see us argue and fret, compete for who is “right” and who is not.  I think we forget that we do what we do to help other people live better, healthier, more productive lives.

And so I want a space where those of us who are like-minded, collaborative, future facing, and willing to embrace change, innovation and passion to come together and start a movement to change the world one person at a time.

I want to build that group here, and I invite you and all of your  friends, family and colleagues to join us. It doesn’t matter if you are mental health professionals, physicians, lawyers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, health coaches, holistic healers.  I just want to build a group of people who help others to live better lives.  I ask that we support and respect each other in our individual and collective goals to make the world a better place.

How is this biz savvy?

The more I learn about the business of making a living while helping others, the more I realize that the growth of my business is directly related to innovation, collaboration and telling others about what I do (marketing).

But I’ve come to a realization. I don’t want to have to convince anyone of this. The truth is, some people are open to these ideas and some are not.  And, honestly, if you live in 2010 and don’t realize that the world is changing, innovation is the name of the game and working together allows us to be more effective than working in isolation, nothing that I post or offer to you is going to open your mind.

So, no more convincing will happen here. Instead, we will focus on education, talking to those who are innovating, reviewing books on new ideas and concepts, teaching  new ways to provide services and tell the world about them. Want to learn how to use Twitter to educate the public and promote your work? We’ll talk about it.  Want to develop an information product that your clients can take home to improve their lives? We’ll explore how.  Think we need an iphone app to remind people to take care of themselves? Please come on in and we’ll talk about how to make that a reality.  Ready to partner up with a colleague and build a group practice, offer workshops together, start a nonprofit?  Please discuss it with us!

You do not have to be a proficient innovator or business person to join our community, you just need to be open to learning.  This will be a community of learners and teachers.

For me, the old way of doing things, both in treatment and  in business are increasingly ineffective. Yes,there will always be a need for traditional approaches, but we need to start adding to our toolbox.  The good news is,  we have the power and the tools to change and create programs that are just as effective, can reach a wider audience and help more people. And we need to use new tools and technology to tell the world about our good work. Whether you are trying to reach people in your community, or around the world, new ways of doing and communicating are required to make a difference.

Some of this might push you out of your comfort zone and some may feel just plain weird.  That is fine and I welcome your questions and curiosity.  Lurk, read, puzzle over what we discuss.  We only grow by moving beyond what we know to explore wider perspectives.  What I do not welcome is judgment, ridicule, or dogmatism.   Middle school antics will not be welcome here.   Those debates don’t help people.  If the vibe of this community doesn’t work for you, I know there are thousands of other groups you can check into that might be a better fit.  That is the beauty of the internet and the blogosphere!

Let’s change the world!

We’ve got a lot to talk about! And learn! And explore! I hope you will go on this journey with me (because one of the reason I”m building this group is so *I* can learn new things from cool people).

So tell me, what are YOU doing that is innovative and helpful to your clients?  I’d love to learn more, interview you, maybe have you write us a guest post for the blog.

Don’t feel innovative yet, but ready and willing to learn more? What do you want to know? How can we help? Who can I bring here to teach us something new?

How do you tell people about what you do? Do you have a unique way to market? Or do you want to learn more about websites, blogs, social media? Let us know in the comments below and let’s get our innovative, change-the-world-thing going on!

To kick things off, if you haven’t already, I invite you to sign up for my two free programs:  The Way of the Biz Savvy Therapist and the Innovative Private Practice Series.  These are geared toward those working in mental health, but the concepts will work for any helping professional. (Just ask Leanna Hamill, our helpful lawyer-in-residence.)