As a "classic" entrepreneur in the 21st Century, I'm usually juggling several exciting projects and ideas all at the same time. Some spark my interest and take off, some need an extra effort or piece I can't seem to identify, so they sit until whatever's been missing becomes clear to me. And some die a natural death because the time just isn't right, or the marketplace just isn't interested.

This past year I made a commitment to my life to Leverage Everything! I recognize everything I'm conscious of is in my life for a reason, so I want to get the most effective and wide spread use from it that I can. Many ideas I've been working on in the past 4-5 years have finally come together into something tangible. And, as always, I have lots more ideas that are waiting to be born! I'm a Creative Catalyst for others, an idea person. But I need that same kind of support for myself.

And that's where you come in. Or so I hope. You have a background and perspective that's different from my own, although something brought us together, so there's obviously some kind of connection between us. To be truly effective in what I want to do, I need that broader perspective and synergy that having you on my team can help provide.

So, consider this a personal invitation to find out if you would like to participate with me on my R&D Team.

What's an R&D Team?

At this point you may be asking: What's an R&D team? An R&D team is like a virtual think tank, providing feedback and strategic input for designing, testing and perfecting intellectual property. Each team is different, but basically here's how this one works…

From time to time a new idea pops up (or one that's been hiding comes forward again!) and I decide it's time to work on it. As I begin to develop the new product, program or process, I may need/want feedback, ideas or other perspectives.

At that time I send the R&D team members an email explaining what's up and what I need. Members who want to can send back ideas, comments, thoughts, suggestions, refinements. Any kind of constructive feedback is welcomed, even if you disagree with where I'm going, so long as it's positively framed and politely written!

What to Expect

When you join my team you will receive a welcome email from me that is very similar to the content on this page and you will be placed on a special mailing list.

Then, periodically you will receive emails from me asking for input, advice, feedback, opinions, suggestions, reactions, corrections, strategies, content, problems with, quotes for and any other ideas you have about whatever project I'm working on at that time.

The kinds of subjects we will be focusing on might include projects relating to anything from career and business development issues (like changing careers, or starting a business, or internet marketing) to personal issues (life and work balance, or handwriting analysis, or relationship issues). Most of the emails will come directly from me (Katie), but they may include projects that I am collaborating with someone else on, as well as my own personal projects.

It is your choice of whether you want to respond to any particular email or not. You can expect somewhere between 1 - 7 emails a month, depending on what I might be working on and where I might be in the process. If the subject interests you and you want to make a comment or suggestion, then please respond. If you are not interested, then ignore or delete the email. Of course, by signing up as an R&D member, we are expecting you to respond to at least some of the emails. And, you can always unsubscribe at any time, for any reason.

Because of the nature of R&D teams, I generally won't respond on a one-to-one basis to your email, simply because of the volume. I also may or may not use your ideas or feedback. This means that you'll need to be content with having your participation and contribution of ideas/comments be sufficient for you without additional acknowledgement. Again, this is a time management issue; it has nothing to do with the immense value of your contribution.

Special Considerations

By becoming a member of my R&D team, you are agreeing to participate under the following very important conditions:

The ideas, projects, processes, etc. that I will be sharing with you will generally be confidential proprietary business projects I am working on. This means I will share them with the R&D team with the expectation and requirement that you treat them as confidential until we release the final product.

By the same token, I will often be creating intellectual property and products that may or may not include some of your suggestions, ideas, feedback, or content. Many of these products, projects and processes will be available commercially (sold for a fee to the public).

Legally, I (or one of my businesses) will be the copyright holder and owner of the materials with the sole legal right to sell the materials or otherwise offer them to the public, unless otherwise explicitly agreed to in writing by me. This means that by participating on the team, you are agreeing to let me use, adapt, modify and incorporate your ideas, comments and responses into the materials without further consideration to you (monetarily or otherwise), and that I may or may not explicitly acknowledge your participation and contribution to the project.

While I am a strong believer in attribution, the nature of R&D teams often makes it difficult to single out contributions. Your contribution and participation is invaluable to me and to the projects we are moving forward. At the same time, your participation is purely voluntary, so if you are uncomfortable with these considerations, either now or in the future, you are welcome to unsubscribe yourself from the Team.

What's in it for the R&D Team?

R&D teams are generally made up of people who are very internally motivated. They enjoy being part of a team and contributing towards the development of new ideas and projects. Personal satisfaction and contribution are highly motivating for these participants.

As a participant in other R&D teams, I can tell you that what has been valuable to me is being in the flow of new ideas. I gained new insight, ideas, and expanded thinking as a result. These have helped me move my own projects forward, caused me to play a bigger game at a higher level, and shifted my thinking in several new ways (yep, got lots of new ideas, too, as if I didn't already have a backlog!!). It's also helped me to keep on track with some of my own projects, and to move into new, more lucrative dimensions.

So, having said all of that, there are also some tangible aspects of being on my R&D team. From time to time (depending on the specific program, process or product), some or all of the following may be offered or provided to R&D team members:

How to Register

Each email sent to you includes instructions on how to unsubscribe, and you are welcome to do so at any time, and for any reason.

I hope you'll join us. I certainly appreciate your interest and willingness to play!!

Katie Darden

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