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The 11-Year-Old CEO Who Rewrote the Rules of Innovation

Picture this: An 11-year-old walks into Great Western Savings with his father, opens a business account, and launches "Effortless Programming," teaching BASIC programming to neighborhood kids from his living room. That boy was Joseph Bradley. Today, he's the CEO leading a $500 billion initiative to build the world's first cognitive city.

This isn't just another tech success story. It's the blueprint for thriving in an age where the right question matters more than any answer.

The Foundation: When Respect Became Revolution

Joseph's father gave him more than a Commodore PET computer that day in 1980. He gave him a philosophy that would reshape entire industries: "Respect costs nothing, but it means everything."

But this wasn't the passive respect of "yes, sir, no, ma'am." This was active respect: the kind that listens with genuine curiosity, seeks to understand before being understood, and asks, "How can I help you succeed?"

This principle would later guide Joseph through:

• Becoming Pacific Bell's youngest CFO at 28
• Surviving the dot-com crash that taught him the difference between "failing fast" and "learning fast"
• Creating Cisco's Internet of Everything concept that grew into a $3 billion business
• Leading Saudi Arabia's NEOM project — the most ambitious smart city initiative in human history

The Cisco Years: Where Questions Became Currency

Under the mentorship of legendary CEO John Chambers, Joseph discovered something profound: In a world where all answers are becoming available instantly, value lies in knowing what questions to ask.

This insight became the basis of his book, "Questioneering," published by Melissa through her company, Networlding, written years before ChatGPT proved him right. While others focused on AI's outputs, Joseph saw the real revolution: AI doesn't replace human creativity; it amplifies the power of human curiosity.

The Saudi Arabia Gamble: Real-Time is Too Late

When that mysterious call from Saudi Arabia finally got through (after Joseph declined it five times), it led to the opportunity of a lifetime. The Crown Prince wasn't just building another smart city. He was reimagining what a city could be.

Joseph's breakthrough insight: Real-time is too late.

"We learned from COVID — by the time we found out in real-time, the damage was done. The future isn't about smart cities that react; it's about smart cities that anticipate. It's about cognitive cities that predict."

Under his leadership, NEOM became the world's first cognitive community: a city built not around assets, but around human intelligence. A place where AI doesn't just respond to your needs; it anticipates them.

The Next Evolution: Your AI Twin

Today, Joseph is pioneering what comes after the AI assistant: Identic AI. Not an agent that serves you, but a digital twin that IS you.

Imagine having a version of yourself that:

• Works 24/7 while you sleep
• Think with your knowledge and reasoning
• Maintains your values and decision-m

Connect with Melissa @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagwilson/
Connect with Billy @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydexter/
Connect with John @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-st-augustine-1b3192/

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The Extraordinary Baseball Story That Reveals the Hidden Power of Trust

Picture this: A man in England finds a 1970s Chicago White Sox jacket on eBay. Through careful detective work, he realizes it belonged to former player Eric Soderholm. But here's where the story gets remarkable—instead of trying to profit from his discovery, he flies from England to Chicago for one purpose: to return the jacket to its rightful owner.

No strings attached. No payment expected. Just one human being going to extraordinary lengths to do the right thing for another.

This is what trust in action looks like.

The Trust That Changes Everything

On this week's episode of "Awake in the Network," host John St. Augustine shares this incredible story—and it perfectly illustrates why trust isn't just nice to have in your network. It's everything.

As John discovered through decades in media and business, "Trust is the fundamental piece that keeps you awake in the network. Where destiny happens."

The Hidden Truth About Your Network

Most people think networking is about collecting contacts. They're wrong.

Real networking, what we call Networlding, is built on a foundation so powerful that it can collapse entire marketing cycles, create opportunities out of thin air, and connect you with people who will transform your life.

That foundation is trust.

Why Trust Matters More Than You Think

Consider this: Every time you drive, you're trusting that the person coming toward you—separated only by a thin line of paint—knows what they're doing. You do this automatically, without thinking.

Yet in business and relationships, we often forget the incredible power that trust holds to keep people together.

The Three Types of People in Your Network

Research reveals a startling truth: When surveyed on busy Chicago streets, people reported having far more "Takers" than "Givers" in their networks. But here's what's different about the most successful connectors: they've learned to become "Exchangers."

Exchangers don't just give or take. They build mutually beneficial relationships that generate transformational opportunities for all parties involved.

The Moment Everything Changed

John shares a deeply personal story about when he voluntarily ended his radio show at the height of his career to care for his daughter. In the depths of depression that followed, something remarkable happened: trusted people in his network, like Wayne Dyer, Cheryl Richardson, and Bob Green, reached out to him.

One conversation changed everything. Cheryl Richardson told him, "The problem is you confused what you do with who you are."

The magic happens when you trust the process, even when you can't see where it's leading.

Your Network is Your Net Worth—But Not How You Think

The real value isn't in the number of connections you have; it's in the quality of those connections. It's in the quality of those connections. It's in the depth of trust you've built with people who know you, like you, and are personally invested in seeing you succeed. And when trust becomes the foundation of your network, extraordinary things become ordinary.

The question isn't whether you can afford

Connect with Melissa @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagwilson/
Connect with Billy @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydexter/
Connect with John @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-st-augustine-1b3192/

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From "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens" - Part 2: The Deep Psychology of Human Connection

Beyond the Basics: Why Master Networkers Are Artists, Not Algorithms

While Part 1 explored the fundamental human elements AI cannot replicate, Part 2 reveals the sophisticated psychological and emotional intelligence that separates networking novices from networking masters. These are the advanced human skills that turn connection into an art form—capabilities so nuanced and intuitive that they represent the pinnacle of human social intelligence.

The Intuitive Art of People Reading

Master networkers like Billy Dexter possess an almost supernatural ability to read people's true intentions and potential. "I'm listening for ways that I could be helpful. And I'm trying to get a sense of their spirit of wanting to be reciprocal," Billy explains. "It's sometimes really clear when people are coming at you and they're very transactional."

The Master's Touch: This goes far beyond surface-level conversation. It's the ability to:

• Detect authentic reciprocal intent versus transactional mindset
• Since someone's capacity for long-term relationship building
• Read micro-expressions and vocal tonalities that reveal true character
• Intuitively assess whether someone will "run the route" (follow through on commitments)

What AI Misses: Algorithms can analyze text patterns and keywords, but cannot sense the subtle energy shifts, the hesitation in someone's voice, or the difference between genuine enthusiasm and performative interest.

The Strategic Patience of Master Connectors

When someone approaches Billy with immediate requests, his response demonstrates masterful emotional intelligence: "I actually go into that mode and take the conversation off of what they're actually looking for and start asking questions about them... But I'm always going to come back to that, but I want to establish a rapport first."

The Master's Touch: This is psychological aikido—redirecting energy without offending. Master networkers:

• Slow down rushed conversations to build a proper foundation
• Create comfort zones that encourage authentic sharing
• Use strategic questioning to shift from transaction to relationship
• Know when to come back to the original requests after rapport is established

What AI Misses: The emotional intelligence to recognize when someone needs to be slowed down, the social grace to redirect without offending, and the intuitive timing of when to return to business matters.

The Sophisticated Art of Partnership Vetting

John's approach to vetting potential book collaborators reveals master-level discernment: "I set up hoops to jump through quite frankly because if you're not in for the long haul, then I need to know that... Do you have what it takes to run the race?"

Billy's "run the route" philosophy demonstrates similar mastery: "If a person can't run a route... by the time he turns into his break, the ball is right there. So there's ultimate trust in communication."

The Master's Touch: Advanced vetting includes:

• Creating meaningful tests that reveal character under pressure
• Assessing commitment levels through behavioral observation, not just words
• Recognizing the difference between

Connect with Melissa @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagwilson/
Connect with Billy @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydexter/
Connect with John @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-st-augustine-1b3192/