Most people probably don’t remember getting the invitation to join Facebook or Twitter. These networks are so ubiquitous now that they seemingly just came to be in our lives without or event or fanfare. 

That’s not the case for me. In the case of Twitter, I remember very clearly how I came to participate. In spring of 2007, I read a blog post from a telecom industry pioneer named Jeff Pulver talking about a new ‘site’ called Twitter. In fact, he became such a fan of the platform he at one point asked people to stop sending him email - he was determined to message through Twitter.

I signed up.

The majority of my interactions with Jeff have in the context of the Voice over IP (VoIP) industry. Jeff put on amazing conferences worldwide called VON (or Voice on Net), which were great for sales and networking, but also lots of fun. Jeff is a big music fan and he would bring in terrific bands to play the closing parties of what could easily be dry and drab geek-fests. (A couple I know, Ken & Sheryl Camp, even got engaged at one of the conferences - how’s that for networking.)

Anyway, Jeff was always easy to spot at the closing night concerts. He was almost certainly the heaviest guy in the room, wearing crazy glasses and Hawaiian shirts that resembled tablecloths at a summer picnic. The guy was big. 

Sometime within the last couple of years Jeff decided to get in shape. But  this guy doesn’t put a toe in the water. He cannonballs. As in the example with Twitter, he asked his network not to email him because he was switching to a platform where users are required to state their case in 140 characters. He’s done the same with his body, and everyone is invited along for the ride. 

In a fairly short period of time, he transformed. See for yourself on his Facebook page or Twitter feed. 

He’s also pivoted his events business to focus on the power of personal transformation, believing that adopting a healthy lifestyle is the forcing function to transformation in a lot of other areas of one’s life. 

His conference, called #140, kicks off tomorrow in New York City. Wish I were going to be there.