Objective is, as always, 'something which expands awareness of Innerpreneuring, and helps those so-minded to develop better enterprises'.

Oh yes! Oh yes! I couldn't agree more.

'can we collaborate with others just for the joy and creativity of it? do people know how?'

I think we know how to collaborate with others, we just don't know where to start with them, maybe. It's moving out of the 'I'm creating for me' thing and moving into a thought train of 'how can I synergize with this other person and create something that is a reflection of both of us?' It takes mutual trust and commitment to a shared goal… and that takes time to develop. But once it's there, I do think some very cool things can happen.

And you posed some great questions… I've been thinking and rewriting my answer for the last 30 min… your two questions are the absolute heart of the matter. If we can find a good answer to them, I think we can develop a way to connect that is genuinely engaging.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts below;)

'The question I keep coming back to in my mind is, what do they/we all really need?'

That's the thing, Sam, I'm not sure. I can answer that for myself though. What I have benefited the most from is when I talk one-on-one with other Innerpreneurs and we listen and support each other and brainstorm.

I feel like what I need might be as simple as a place to find other Innerpreneurs to meet locally… or those looking to 'hook up' and brainstorm and/or support each other online via chatroom and/or forum.

I also need professional help… and good business resources… Maybe a directory-type function is needed too?

'How can we help each other most effectively through connecting more authentically?'

What if we just show up to the conversation as us, not as a business owner with an agenda to get business. If we show up to the conversation wondering what we can give and how we can learn from the other person, rather than how we can benefit our self and our agenda, I think we could really very effectively help each other in ways we can't yet realize.

can we collaborate with others just for the joy and creativity of it? do people know how?

I think we're all spread too thin, in life and the web.

Hell, ****-no – that's why Twitter has only thirteen users, and nobody ever comments on weblogs anymore.

>There has to be a purpose or a reason for connecting, and it has to be a strong one.

Yeah, maybe. And people of course connect for various reasons… among which is 'idle chat' – which can be pleasurable, worthwhile and for many in a keyboard-and-screen dominated era, 'real interaction'.

Alongside this, the best (most used and rewarding) forums are likely those 'practical' ones oriented around 'how do I…?', of which Sitepoint has always been a good example, along with others focused on automobile marques/models.

So then, whether to offer useful action-oriented interchange, or simply to talkabout stuff, that's the 'point & purpose' of forums – and participation need have no stronger drive than 'I want to'.

If it's not worked thus-far it's because you haven't yet gotten it right – so either leave the thing alone, as-is, to atrophy… or kickstart it by doing what you sensibly can. And, if it then doesn't work… oh well, you tried.

'Can't shrink your way to greatness…' if your stuff is something in which you believe strongly, and you're doing it with good intent and to the best of your abilities – then why the **** not do all you can to foster awareness-of and engagement-with it? (Others might think of this as 'marketing'.)

gulliver's use of the phrase “enthusiastically compelled” has also got me thinking.

What, exactly, are we suggesting we want them to be enthusiastically compelled to do?

Most of us are too busy to talk just for talking sake, and we're all flying round trying to keep up with everything that's happening on the web for fear that we're going to miss something vital (I'm thinking of a post you wrote about the pressure to be constantly connected, and one that Andrew Swenson wrote about the Paradox of Constant Connection at wordpost.org). But when we use the web that way (e.g. flying onto Twitter to post a quick link to our site, or skimming through our feed reader to see who's posted today) we reduce the potential effectiveness of connecting more deeply with other like-minded souls.

There has to be a purpose or a reason for connecting, and it has to be a strong one. This is where it gets tricky, because we're all running on our own agendas and we all have different concerns at any given time.

I think a well-run forum can create or find common purpose.
Tara, I think people do need your help to connect. And I think, if there are people that are willing to be heard, you could start bringing their voices in, through more interactive blog posts.

The question I keep coming back to in my mind is, what do they/we all really need?
How can we help each other most effectively through connecting more authentically?

Okay, that's my explanation of her explanation but whatever. The book
help to clarify my thinking on the subject, so thank you.

I keep getting my mind stuck on how helpful it has been for me to meet
everyone I have via this blog and I want to help foster the same for
others. Ah, but wait, I already do that by helping people to get their
businesses online… shit, okay, well there we go;) I see where my
thinking is getting stuck.

Thanks for sharing your perspective.