According to singer Jill Sobule, there is no end to the superness of this week. Catching the Bryant Park Project today on Sirius, I had a good chuckle listening to Jill and her co-singer pal belt out a little diddy for Super Tuesday.

Even better than the diddy was the conversation that followed. Jill is currently raising money to produce her next album through this site: Jill’s Next Record. She’s not just asking for flat out cash. Givers receive too. Sponsorship levels range from $25 in exchange for a comp copy of the CD to $10,000 to join her on the record (cowbell provided).

This has to be the best idea I’ve come across all year, and that’s not just because it’s only February. We can all take some cues from Jill. Whether she knows it or not, she’s maxing out the convergence of ecomm, grassroots marketing and social networking.

In 2007, Radiohead channeled publicity for their latest album, In Rainbows, to a website where fans downloaded tracks at a self-chosen price. A statement against old school industriasts? Publicity stunt? Either way the tracks are no longer available as freebies. There’s no failure here. Radiohead’s approach got everyone talking and gobs of site-clogging traffic. The chatter was mostly aimed at the stunt versus the album itself which is a bit of a shame but either way we all should applaud Radiohead for connecting with their fans in a new way.

Jill’s path takes the fan connection and blows it up. She reverses the path by getting her fans to pay her. How great is that? Everyone talks about building a community online but Jill is really, actively, one-by-one, person-to-person, musician-to-fan drawing the circle. If I threw Jill some cash, which I am contemplating, you’ll bet I’ll be checking back at the site in a few weeks to see if she’s raised any more money. I’ll also tell my friends about it, maybe even blog about it again, and I might buy a few of her older tracks too. All of my actions along the way will contribute to Jill’s success and this is the key value of Jill’s idea: I’m giving just as much as I’m receiving. That is a true community experience.

If more people can Jillify the web, we can really advance this thing. Let’s get active. Connect with people online in ways that mimic real connections. Jill has me thinking about my own web presence. Since my talents are limited to playing the spoons and writing about other people’s talents, it will require some thought. I’ll get back to you on that. Until then, give Jill a visit.

Have you heard of any other weboneers paving the next wave of online experience? Chat us up and link away.

It’s not about “how” can I get successful but “how successful can I get?”

This week I attended two girl power networking events, both discovered while rummaging through MeetUp.com. Although hosted in the organizer’s home, each event was very different. The first was The Professional Women’s Lunchtime Collaborative in Springfield, Mass., a small group of business indies who gather once a month with a purpose. Each month a member takes the wheel and presents a project or challenge for the group to nosh on. I like this approach. We bring our lunches, get to know each other in small bits and do our best to stay on topic.

The second event was a wine and chocolate half-social, half-networking evening. About 20 gals and one unsuspecting guy (don’t worry, we went easy on him) gathered in a very cozy fireplaced family room. The group is the Western Mass. sect of eWomenNetwork. This is atypical of their monthly meet ups which are usually a paid-speaker-dinner event. The flow of this event was possibly too casual, as discussions drifted here and there, but I didn’t mind. We kept topics to 90% business and the ideas flowed plenty regarding marketing, staying motivated and looking for new avenues to grow business.

Both events confirmed a gut feeling that I’ve had for several months now: women are itchy. Today’s professional women are energetic, smart and eager to suss out new opportunities. We’re competitive and supportive all at once. Business networking has really grown up and we all recognize the value in creating communities that have direct and indirect impact on our business.

I believe the focus for women succeeding in business is finally shifting from isolated big strides to a multitude of smaller but more effective leaps. In the early days of my career I worked with several women who were still living in the residuals of vigilante feminists. Don’t misunderstand me here – I am a huge proponent of competition and empowerment. I also believe competition is at its best when it coexists with mutual respect and support.

With the long-time career women I encountered in the 1990s, fear of not getting ahead was the driver and an expectation of suppression was a natural response. They were still “fighting the good fight” but their fight was not of 1970s and 1980s solidarity. Their fight had moved from “the man” to protecting their hard won territory against the younger women who were looking for mentorship and empowerment. It was a weird time. My views of this time were possibly skewed because I was green and new to office politics but I doubt this is the case since I see a definite change these days.

We are beyond the 1990s confusion of “every woman for herself while pretending to stick together.” Today, it’s not an either/or situation. In the U.S., it’s not about conquering territory and making a claim anymore. Now is the time for action where the focus is not reaction but impact.

The opportunities now open to everyone in business is causing an itch. I can literally see it in people at the networking events – they’re jumping out of their skins. The breadth of opportunity is immense. It’s not about “how” can I get successful but “how successful can I get?” Moms take time off to hang with their kids and then they float into business whenever the opportunity strikes. I met a woman the other night who quit her job last summer and is just now thinking about getting another one, if the right one comes along. The organizer of the eWomenNetwork group home schools her six kids, yet finds time to help build a community of professionals who are focused on motivating and philanthropic business practice.

Man or woman in business, it’s time to scratch that itch. I want 2008 to be defined by action. Your actions should result in success for your business and for others in your community. Big or small, the actions we take to improve the business environment for others will always have great rewards for our own growth and success.

Small Stuff – The latest manifesto on ChangeThis talks about “microtrends.” Yes, we all know about the growth of niche and the longtail but this interestingly takes it one step further and suggests that there is a lot of power in 1% that is being overlooked: http://www.changethis.com/38.01.JustOne

Social Networking is Coming For You – Businesses who don’t understand why Facebook and online community building will affect the future, will be left in the dust. Remember the days when email was primarily for chain letters and jokes? Now it’s a marketing tool. Younger generations are building social networking beyond trend and into lifestyle and work function. All the young techies are trying to figure out a catchy Facebook app like this: www.lemonade.com. It may not directly affect your business right now but understanding its impact will keep you open to opportunities when presented.

Word of Mouth – I’ve been a BzzAgent for several years now. As an agent, I spread the word on products and services that I like to friends and family and earn points for spending time talking about other people’s stuff. Recently, they launched the Frog Pond where agents spread the word on websites and online promos. WOM is strategically tricky stuff. I think this avenue will do well with agents like me who live off the laptop: http://www.bzzagent.com/frog/FrogPond.do

Right now I’m driving back to my little house in CT from the Geezeo ZoomInfo Compete + sponsored Tech Cocktail event in Bostonian MA. Cool event. Probably 500+ folks chatting, drinking, hanging.

This is the type of event that I like. Nothing planned except for a few fun events - particularly, a raffle coordinated with a money machine (fitting for Geezeo) where folks had to enter a booth and grab as much fake money as possible as it blew around their heads. I totally rocked this game (which didn’t matter because you didn’t win anything except for the chance to drop your biz card into the raffle - blah) but my strategy was killer. I’d tell you but then if we ever were to encounter each other at another geek networking event with a money-blowing-around-your-head machine competition, you’d totally trump me. Not cool. A Wii, of course, was also present. First time playing a Wii for me and I totally stink so it will probably be the last. There were probably a few other things that I didn’t pay much attention to. I was too busy chatting folks up.

At the bar I ran into Mark from MarksGuide, a guy my buddy Matt has been trying to connect me with for sometime. He has an awesome concept for a hyperlocal, biz event happening site and I’ve already got some great ideas for how he can build up some excitement and get some Craig’s List type hype. I also had several fabulous conversations with Jill from Fashion Public. Her mission is to get boutique fashion directly into the hands of fashionistas. Another awesome concept. Jill is currently in the fund gathering stage. If there’s anyone out there that would like to invest in a sure-fire hit company, please contact Jill and give her your money. I’d love to work with her and the funds will make this happen. Thanks.

I also ran into BzzAgent reps. BzzAgent and I go way back. Pete from Geezeo will tell you that I told him about BzzAgent like four years ago. It was great to meet the folks face-to-face. Awesome WOM company and I’m excited to learn more about their new Frog Pond adventure. I haven’t participated in one of their campaigns in a while but I will be sure to hook up with one ASAP.

Honestly, if every conference and seminar out there was replaced with a straight out networking event, I think they’d be 30% more successful. Maybe even 38%. It’s the right environment to make things happen - people hanging out, talking, getting to know each other. It just makes sense. Thanks TechCocktail funders - looking forward to the next one.