New book "The Perfection of Marketing" incorporates Diamond Cutter principles
Written by Scott Vacek
Monday, 16 March 2009 00:00
Manhattan, New York, USA
An interview with James Connor, author,
"The Perfection of Marketing"
Geshe Michael Roach praised The Perfection Of Marketing by James
Connor, published by Diamond Cutter Press in January 2009, with the
following:
“James Connor had the courage to go and seek the ancient wisdom of
Asia, the determination to master it with many years of study, and the
vision to apply it to his hot New York ad agency. The proof is in the
pudding; listen to him and succeed.”
Scott Vacek of Diamond Cutter Discussion Groups recently interviewed
James Connor, a brand marketing expert and the CEO of The James Group,
an advertising agency that specializes in businesses under 500
employees, to learn more about his new book The Perfection of Marketing.
Q: James, how important was reading The Diamond Cutter to your career?
There has been one book that changed the course of my life: The Diamond Cutter. Reading it, I felt I was hearing the truth for the first time. In Geshe Michael, I felt I had finally found someone who knew the truth about how things really worked. Naturally, I wanted to know more.
I started to study the original sources for the wisdom contained in The Diamond Cutter through the 18 courses of the Asian Classics Institute, then continued study out at Diamond Mountain University for the advanced courses.
I really spark to the disciplined, rigorous academic approach. As a business person, I need to understand the details of how something works before I feel confident committing to it. In that sense, I always do my due diligence.
After reading The Diamond Cutter and further study, I started treating my business as a laboratory for observing karmic correlations. Then with confidence in seeing results, I started to reformulate our marketing processes around those principles in a skillful way so business clients and even employees wouldn’t realize we were using ancient Buddhist principals to make people successful.
Q: What kind of success have you had with your business, The James Group?
Lots of successes for clients and ourselves. We’ve made more money for 95% of clients over the past 13-years including creating national category-leading brands like GarageTek, Thinkfun, The Water Quality Insurance Syndicate (WQIS) and Transparent Value.
I got to employ lots of people with six-figure salaries. I lived and worked each day without compromising my world-view and made steady improvement in my ability to keep my vows. As a result, we’ve also been profitable 12 of 13 years.
Q: James, what did you set out to accomplish with this book and do you feel you’ve done it?
I wanted to do two things. 1. Take something as mysterious and unpredictable as marketing and clarify it into simple repeatable steps that every company should follow to create predictable marketing results. 2. After testing and perfecting the process over 12 years, I wanted to pass the process on to others to help their businesses grow more effectively. Everyone will benefit when companies can tell their story more effectively and companies can stop wasting marketing dollars.
Q: Tell us about the book?
I wanted to create a marketing book that was a page-turner. The book is written in narrative style using story and plot to make it easy to read. The characters are composites of the over 200 CEOs, VP’s of Marketing, and CFOs I’ve advised over 12 years. There isn’t a single word said in the book that someone didn’t say to me many times. So people will find the concerns and marketing advice ring true.
Q: The reviews have been extremely positive. What can you say about that?
I’ve been very fortunate. Several reviews have called it “Marketing book of the Year.” I’m also getting emails and picking up twitter feeds from business people around the world saying “it’s the clearest marketing book they have ever read.” It’s nice to hear. However, I always remember where the wisdom came from. Build anything on the principals of Geshe Michael, Lama Christie, and Master Shantideva and your work will be irresistible.
Q: How are you going about marketing the book?
Karmically, of course. I actually finished the book a year earlier and put it aside because I didn’t feel I had accumulated enough merit yet to see it succeed. During that year, I had the opportunity to work on Lama Christie McNally’s new book The Tibetan Book of Meditation as an editor. That book is amazing. When it comes out in May 2009, it will change the face of Buddhism by rightfully elevating women Lamas and establishing Lama Christie as one of the leading teachers of meditation in the world.
When her incredible book was complete, I submitted my book for publishing and started to give away lots of content. At the www.perfectionofmarketing.com you can download the first four chapters for free. Those chapters were written when I was studying in India the art of interpreting what the Buddha really meant, so I feel they were written from a very sincere, clear place. If you search Perfection of Marketing on iTunes, you’ll find free video podcasts that walk business people through the marketing principals discussed in the book. People seem to like those a great deal, judging from the reviews.
Q: What’s next for you?
I sold The James Group to our Creative Director Paul Blakely and a European advertising agency on the same week The Perfection of Marketing was released. The sale is allowing me freedom to build a meditation retreat cabin and go into the upcoming 3-year silent meditation retreat led by Geshe Michael and Lama Christie starting 10/10/10.
In many ways, this book is my goodbye to business in a similar way The Diamond Cutter was for Geshe Michael before he went on his first three-year retreat. I’ve given away everything I know about brand marketing and advertising which feels wonderful. I hope it will continue to make others successful each day that I am in retreat and beyond.
I feel that I’ve gone spiritually as far as I can go while still owning a business. I’ve learned how to take full responsibility for employees, vendors, clients and their employees by putting their needs first.
In retreat, I want to concentrate on the larger problems in the world like how to create peace. At 39-years old, I haven’t lived a single day on this planet where some country isn’t in a shooting war with another. I want to change that.
James Connoris the founder and CEO of The James Group advertising agency in New York. In 13 years of owning the business he has incorporated Diamond Cutter principles in advising over 200 company owners.
Groundbreaking Diamond Cutter Seminars in Ramat Gan, Israel
Written by Scott Vacek
Monday, 23 February 2009 00:00
110 people filled the Ramat Gan “Emotion Studio” near Tel Aviv for three days in January to take part in the first-ever Diamond Cutter business seminar titled “The Wisdom of Diamond Cutter-Part 1 ”.
Dr. Dvora Tzvieli, formerly of Bell Laboratories, and accomplished computer scientist Dr. Arie Tzvieli, created the three-day experiential workshop by first developing a new, groundbreaking curriculum, all based in the teachings of Geshe Michael Roach - the author of The Diamond Cutter. Through lecture sessions, large and small group discussions and even meditation and yoga classes geared for business people, participants explored the apparent causes of their successes and failures…and then went on to identify and work with the true causes.
Professional businessmen and businesswomen, teachers and homemakers alike were led through the intensive program to learn the true causes of Making Money, Enjoying the Money and the Path, and Making Our Life Meaningful. Topics included “Hidden Potential”, “Deep Reasons for Success”, “Problems and Solutions in Business” and “Ultimate Managing Tool.”
The understanding gained from this workshop is applicable in all areas of life - it is not just for the business community.
Drs. Dvora and Arie are reporting some dramatic results from attendees, including more than one paradigm shift….as early as the last day of the seminar, some participants were reporting instant results from application of what they learned. "The workshop delivers absolutely amazing wisdom and presentation...and can change your life immediately" said Dr. Arie.
Bi-weekly group meetings led by senior students are now taking place in several locations near Tel Aviv as a follow-up to the seminar, to continue the day-to-day work of identifying and creating the true causes for success. Group leaders tell us so far that the participants are returning with stories of progress in areas where they have been stuck for years, and are excitedly waiting for Part 2 of the workshop.
Planning for future workshops is in progress….another Part 1 in April, and the first presentation of Part 2 in July 2009!
Dr. Dvora Tzvieli holds advanced degrees in Mathematics and Computer
Science, and has been working in research at Bell Labs and on Wall
Street. She has studied with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, a
great Tibetan Master, Abbot of Sera Mey Monastery, and with Geshe
Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally in New York and in Arizona. She
is a student and teacher at the Buddhist University Diamond Mountain in
Arizona, and has been a beloved teacher of classical scriptures from
the Buddhist and Yogic traditions for the past 10 years. She has
translated numerous classical texts.
Dr. Arie Tzvieli grew up in Israel and completed his education in Computer Science, and worked in this area many years. Arie has studied Buddhism many years, and practiced in the Teravada tradition and in the last ten years in the Tibetan Mahayana tradition, under the guidance of Khen Rinpoche Geshe Losang Tarchin, who was the abbot of Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery, and under Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally
Five Years With The Diamond Cutter in Germany
Written by Arne Schaefer
Saturday, 18 October 2008 07:13
I feel very honored to be asked to give a short insight in our experiences and our work with the Diamond Cutter of the last five years.
Right now we are all witnessing the dramatic development of the US financial crises and its effect on the world economy and our lives. I believe that Buddhism can give us valuable hints on how to use this incident for our lives and for our future. If we look through the glasses of cause and effect we understand that this is not a sudden incident and there are not "the others" that have made it. We all have to understand that we are harvesting what we have planted before. It is the benefit of The Diamond Cutter to present the core principles of Buddhism in a way that anyone can use it. It is not important if you consider yourself as a Buddhist or not. Rather, do you believe in cause and effect?
LotusConsult
It was early 2003 when my friend Michael (an editor for the German publisher of the The Diamond Cutter) said to me: "I've been working on a book about Buddhism and business. I?d like to know what you and Irmi [my wife] think about the book!" My wife and I were working as coaches and consultants, and we had started LotusConsult to deliver our service in accordance with our Buddhist background. Until then our Buddhist practice had been a more of a personal affair.
So we read The Diamond Cutter, and I said to my wife, "Here is a book that brings Buddhism and business together without softening the main principle of Buddhism: bodhisattva mind!" (compassionate mind). In fact, it gives a clear explanation of how bodhisattva mind is the first condition for a successful and fulfilling business.
Diamond Cutter Labs are gaining momentum in Italy, led by Attilio Piazza of Centro Studi Piazza. Groups are meeting regularly with a current average of 20-25 people in Milan, 10-15 near Venice, and a smaller group in Rimini, near Florence.
In each group meeting, participants pick one of the 46 correlations found in the book, and declare that this will become their "subject of
investigation." They talk about the correlation in the group to determine how they find it in their daily lives, and then make it the focus of their meditation for the month. ...Then
at subsequent meetings they return to discuss what they discovered. When issues are shared, participants often exchange e-mail addresses on the spot and stay in touch day-to-day for more effective support and learning.
Attilio is reporting "very juicy" discussion by group
members of their experiences in applying Diamond Cutter principles. Attilio Piazza is the translator of the Italian version of The Diamond Cutter, "Il Tagliatore di Diamanti" and founder of Centro Studi Piazza, which began in 1990, providing professional training, inter-family counseling and therapy.
We have been working hard on the Diamond Cutter Discussion Groups website and are very happy to announce some new additions:
List of Worldwide Discussion Groups
We have now released our first list of Discussion Groups and moderators worldwide, so that people can find support in their neighborhoods....you can view the growing list under "Find a Group" and "Groups Near You".?? The worldwide community is growing and it has been inspiring to meet so many people around the world who have been moved by the book and are testing and applying the principles.??? ?
One of our main objectives is to bring people together in discussion around The Diamond Cutter and make more people aware of the vast culture and variety of extraordinary teaching that Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally have created.?? There are already many groups meeting regularly worldwide to talk about the ideas and learn how to use them.? Want to become a moderator in your area??? Let us know!
Online Discussion Forum
The Online Forum is up and running under "Find a Group" and "Online Forum." ? Join the worldwide conversation... post your questions and comments on the Forum!?? Read comments from others across the globe about their experiences.? What was it that struck you about The Diamond Cutter??? Do you have any personal stories about applications of the principles found in the book?? What do you like about the website??? Are there any additional features you would like to see?? If there is anything you would like to say or ask about The Diamond Cutter or website, we invite you to sign on to the Forum and do so.?? The book is oriented toward success in business and in life, so please feel free to share any thoughts you have.
Six-Time Book
We now have an explanation of the "Six-Time Book" referred to in The Diamond Cutter, which can be used to guide you in starting your own daily practice.? This can be found under "Learning More" and "Keeping a Six-Time Book."
Worldwide Translations of The Diamond Cutter
Did you know that The Diamond Cutter has been translated into a dozen languages, with more being created right now? You can see all of them here, with links to where they can be purchased online.? You may have a friend or relative in another country that could benefit from one of these translations.
Sneak Preview: New Features Coming Online Soon
Stay tuned for some other new items in progress:
"Diamond Commerce" Networking
In the spirit of Benjamin Franklin creating the first Chamber of Commerce, we would like to create an online community of businesses that subscribe to the ideas found in The Diamond Cutter.? It will probably start as a list of businesses or individuals/professionals and their contact info, with a description of what they do and perhaps any stories they have of how they apply the principles.?? The possibilities here are exciting - the ability to network with businesses that openly advocate this kind of thinking could be an amazing new opportunity to create business alliances that have a strong foundation from the beginning.?? We at Diamond Cutter Discussion Groups are very interested to know: Would you join such a thing??? Would you find it beneficial or inspiring to see a list of businesses and professionals that openly subscribe to the principles of the book, and network with each other with this in mind?? Please contact us to share any thoughts you have about this.
The Perfect Gift (AKA, "the best five bucks you've ever spent")
The book teaches the value of helping others and other businesses as a path to our own success, and in this spirit we will be listing charities, non-profits, and little-known entities that provide opportunities to plant seeds for success by supporting them.?? We will provide a short review of The Diamond Cutter's technique of creating imprints for your own business's success by helping other businesses grow.????
"The Best Five Dollars You Ever Spent" will be a short teaching about using wisdom during giving to make the seeds stronger, with an immediate exercise of choosing one charity to make a donation to online, while being aware of emptiness throughout the entire transaction, and then dedicating to the success of your business (and more).
Diamond Cutter Labs in Italy - September 2008
Written by Scott Vacek
Friday, 12 September 2008 19:26
Attilio Piazza is the translator of the Italian version of The Diamond Cutter, ?Il Tagliatore di Diamanti? and founder of Centro Studi Piazza, which began in 1990, providing professional training, inter-family counseling and therapy.???
The first of three new Diamond Cutter Discussion group events in Italy kicked off this week as a newly formed Venice-based group came together to begin discussions on the principles and ways to apply them.??? Events will also take place in Milan on Friday September 12 and Rimini (near Florence) the week of September 16.
Attilio Piazza has been very active in Italy, bringing together discussion groups in three areas and helping them to get started.? After translating The Diamond Cutter into Italian and helping it's release in February 2008, he found that interest among readers began to naturally develop into a desire for discussion groups.?
"I found The Diamond Cutter because a friend mentioned it, and I loved it" says Attilio.?? I read it over and over and it became one of the books that I was paying close attention to."?? He is now encountering many people who are reading the book and want to talk about it.? "They want to exchange experiences and start growing with it... It's about being aware of the consequences of your thinking, your words and your actions... to have an awareness that basically you get what you think and you get what you speak, you get what you do."??
Hello and welcome to the brand new Diamond Cutter Groups website!? We're glad that you have joined our online community, and we look forward to growing together as a worldwide network.
Diamond Cutter Groups was founded by Geshe Michael Roach and is dedicated to creating worldwide discussion and application of the methods and wisdom found in his bestselling book The Diamond Cutter. ? The discussions and interaction among all of us, around the world, will take shape in many different ways and venues... from corporate boardrooms to the corner coffee shop.?? We are now developing a multi-lingual forum on this website which will allow us all to talk to each other, sharing our successes, questions and discoveries.? We hope these online discussions will spill over into real-life meetings, and vice versa.? ? ? Is there a Diamond Cutter discussion group where you live?? Please tell us about it!? We would like to provide a list of groups all over the world.? We are also looking for people willing to facilitate DC Discussion Groups in all cities.? Please let us know if you are interested in becoming one of the Local Facilitators.? ? Please watch for more news on newly-forming discussion groups, and let us know if you have any questions! ? Scott Vacek Director, Diamond Cutter Groups
Q: What kind of success have you had with your business, The James Group?
110 people filled the Ramat Gan “Emotion Studio” near Tel Aviv for three days in January to take part in the first-ever Diamond Cutter business seminar titled “The Wisdom of Diamond Cutter-Part 1 ”. 
Bi-weekly group meetings led by senior students are now taking place in several locations near Tel Aviv as a follow-up to the seminar, to continue the day-to-day work of identifying and creating the true causes for success. Group leaders tell us so far that the participants are returning with stories of progress in areas where they have been stuck for years, and are excitedly waiting for Part 2 of the workshop.
I feel very honored to be asked to give a short insight in our experiences and our work with the Diamond Cutter of the last five years.
Diamond Cutter News