Thank you to Everyone who Connected!

So here it is: the book we’ve all been working on:

Available March, 2010

When I turned in this manuscript last spring, I was already very pleased with it. After all, I was confident that …

• The ability to connect can change people’s leadership, communication, and relationships;
• Connecting can be learned; and
• As someone who had learned to grow as a connector, I could help others along on that same journey.

Nine months later, I’m excited about this book in ways I couldn’t have predicted. That’s because back when I started writing this book, I had no idea that I’d end up sharing the entire unpublished manuscript with my blog readers.

(For that matter, I had no idea I would even HAVE a blog.)

I didn’t know that I would connect online with such a large number of people on the subject of connecting.

I never knew I could receive so much amazing input and advice from people all over the world that I’d never met.

And I couldn’t have predicted how much your suggestions would change and improve the book.

But here we are. After eleven weeks of sharing the book here a chapter at a time, we’re busy making the final changes to the content based on your input. How much of an impact did you make? Well, here are some exciting facts and stats.

From September 1 to November 16…

This blog recorded more than 100,000 page views.

The posts on the chapters received 1,437 different comments.

To the ten chapters, we added more than 75 of your stories, quotes and anecdotes.

We made over 100 additional changes based on your editorial suggestions.

We redesigned the cover to include the photos of contributors (i.e. YOU).

Then after receiving over 200 photographs – too many to fit on the cover – we redesigned the end papers to include every useable photo.

The one thing that didn’t change, thanks to amazing work by the publishing team, was the date the book will be available for purchase in the United States:

March 30, 2010.

Whether you buy the book or not, I am truly grateful for your part in its creation. I hope that the process has added value to you and your communication.

THANK YOU for connecting with me. It’s an honor to communicate with you.