A  TTW Walk is Like a Walking Talk Show.

The Topic-Talk Walks (TTW) format can switch your exercising experience from “Is it over yet?” to “ Is it already over?”   Give it a try!

TTW is for those of us who prefer to use outdoor walking as our main mode of exercise, and enjoy walking and talking in a walking group conversation.  TTW gives each walker an opportunity to schedule shared nearby weekday walks with friends, family and invited guests.  These walks can turn a small group walk into a celebration.  After all...“The best part of any city is its people!”

2008 is a Market Test for TTW walks!

TTW has scheduled free monthly walks in City Park on the last Wednesday of every month except December 2008.  This web site is dedicated to encouraging the development of entertaining and educational 30 to 60 minute urban park TTW walks.  There are much more qualified walking group hosts and organizers than the TTW co-founders, Fran and Richard Rew.  If there is enough interest in the TTW concept, it is hoped that more qualified leaders will develop TTW-style walk opportunities during this initial 2008 TTW market test, and also after 2008.

TTW is developing in-kind reciprocal trade agreements to support free and fee-based TTW walks with In-Kind Sponsors.  TTW recognizes Volunteer Walk Hosts and Guests as In-Kind Sponsors.  For more info, click “In-Kind Sponsors” here or on the menu tab at the top of this page. 

Who Could Be A Volunteer TTW “Walk Show” Host?

Click on photos above for introduction pages.

Pictured above are TTW Walk Co-Hosts who were scheduled on at least one TTW walk.  From top to bottom, left to right, Fran Rew, Mike Moesta, Sam Arney, Richard Rew, and Michael Fales.  Their photos are linked to more information about each of them.  To view the list of TTW Walk Co-Hosts click here.

We really won’t know who else could be a volunteer TTW “Walk Show” Host or Co-Host until we give everyone who is both registered and interested in hosting a chance to try. 

The 2008 City Park walks are an opportunity for walkers to explore being a Walk Host as an unscheduled “Impromptu” Co-Host.  The walk audience can invite Impromptu Co-Hosts of their choice.   TTW Hosts can also become TTW Organizers/Co-Organizers and create their own schedules, locations and topics.  Click here to read more about the role of Impromptu and Scheduled TTW Walk Hosts.

Who Could Be A TTW “Walk Show” Guest?

The 2 most popular ways of becoming a TTW Walk Guest are to be invited by a TTW Walk Host to be a Walk Guest, or the interested Walk Guest encourages someone who either knows them or wants to know them to become a TTW Walk Host and host them as Walk Guests.

Below are examples of TTW registered “Scheduled” Walk Guests:

TTW Scheduled Walk Guests (above from top left to right): Heike Vargas, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner;  Joan L. Mitchell, Ph.D., author of “Dr. Joan’s Mentoring Book”; Joyce Foster, candidate for Colorado State Senator for District 35; Karen Mehringer, M.A., author of “Sail into Your Dreams”; Fred Grover, Jr., M.D., primary care physician; Tom Rapp, co-creator of Northglenn’s MAGIC Garden; Carl Lawrence, Owner and Co-Founder, Hybrids Plus; Don Lewis, Zap electric truck owner.  Cathie and Tim Havens, Owners of S&S Optika.  Grant and Connie McKenzie, Phoenix Marketing, with Scottish history topic .

TTW Impromptu Walk Guests: Eldon Van Der Wege, MBA, representing HealthCareForAllColorado.org; Vanessa Dyer, Life and Relationship Coach; Richard Rew, BSEE, TTW Co-Founder.

Each of their above photos is linked to their scheduled or impromptu walk description, which includes a short bio about them.  The photos of scheduled TTW Walk Hosts and Guests, who have been on more than one TTW walk, are linked to their own TTW domain site page, which may include links to their separate walks. 

Click on the “In-Kind Sponsors” tab at the top of this page to read more about TTW’s online recognition of volunteer Walk Hosts and Walk Guests. 

click here to view the list of scheduled and impromptu Walk Guests.

Below are examples of other TTW unregistered “Impromptu” Walk Guests:

Pictured above are the first “Impromptu” TTW Walk Guests; from left Connie Larscheidt (also an impromptu Co-Host), and Nat from Kentucky.  On the right, Sam Arney, who has also been a scheduled Walk Co-Host.  These wonderful people helped TTW develop even before TTW went online with Meetup.com registration.  These photos do not include links to learn more about them.

Especially for TTW multi-topic walk groups, each TTW member is encouraged to invite an impromptu Walk Guest who they would like to share with their walk group.  Each impromptu Walk Guest could give a 3 to 5 minute introduction to their topic of interest.  If enough walkers wanted to hear more about that topic, they could schedule a TTW walk through a TTW Walk Organizer. 

The online introduction for each Walk Guest includes a quote from the TTW member or referral person who recommended the Walk Guest.

Who Could Be In The TTW Walking Audience?

Walking in a paved urban park setting, surrounded by benches and other conveniences, makes it possible for the TTW walking audience to include the entire family from stroller to wheelchair and even your dog.   We picked City Park for our first TTW monthly scheduled walks for one primary reason.  This park offers many ways to entertain family and friends before, during and after each walk even on weekday evenings. 

What are Some Examples of Walk Topics?

TTW walk topics can be as diverse as the interests of the new and old walk organizers and hosts.  Even though topic “content” matters, our TTW co-founder Fran Rew believes that the loving “intent” of the topic is even more important than the content of any topic.  As one of a growing number of  Walk Co-Hosts, Fran aims to be a part of TTW walks that are energizing and uplifting for audiences of all ages, with a loving intent shared for all topics. 

Think of the talk shows you enjoyed watching.  Aren’t your favorite talk show memories times when you laughed, loved, learned and felt grateful?  

When we try to image who are favorite Walk Hosts might emulate, we could think of the many TV and radio talk show hosts we love. 

Fran sends a special “Thank you!” to the talk show hosts who have given her excellent examples of energizing and uplifting memories from a wide-range of topics.  Fran’s list of current and past TV and radio talk show hosts to thank is too long to list here.  Here’s an abbreviated list.

1. •Children’s TV talk show hosts:
   Mr. Rogers, and Levar Burton.
   
   

2. • Adult TV talk show hosts:
   Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, and Oprah Winfrey.  Another thank you to game show host Wayne Brady.  And hosts without a stage audience like Bill Moyers and Charlie Rose. 
   
   A special thank you to our Colorado multi-topic hosts:
   Cynthia Hessin.  Colorado multi-topic co-hosts Denise Plante and Mark McIntosh are a pair of local great examples to be grateful for as well.  Colorado single topic hosts to thank are Peter Boyle and Aaron Harber. 
   
   

3. •Radio talk hosts like the NPR Click and Clack Brothers, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, who squeeze in actual car information while sharing lots of laughs with their listening audience on the Car Talk radio show. 
   
   

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be on a TTW walk with any one of these talk show hosts as a TTW Walk Host?   It could happen!!

You probably know some local family members and friends who you think would be just fascinating and fun as TTW Walk Hosts.  You’re probably right!  Walking talk shows can create a huge number of  wonderful opportunities to share and revitalize good talent that’s going to waste.  That’s what this TTW web site is all about.  You have the opportunity to use this web site to be the organizer of your own walking talk shows, and TTW will do everything within it’s power to support your efforts.

No matter what the main scheduled topic may be, there are also interruption topics.  During our first TTW walks since January 2008, the one spontaneous interruption-topic that always was mentioned was the weather and nature around us.  The history of the park has also been a spontaneous interruption topic.  When we all agree to a level of flexibility, the walking group conversation interruptions can actually enhance the experience of the main topic of group conversation.  Each group is like a conversation team.  The team chooses the rhythm of their team connection, disconnect, and reconnection.  

When Will TTW Have Weekend Walks?

The schedules of TTW walks depend on the availability and interest of the volunteer Walk Organizers and Walk Hosts.  As TTW grows, new organizers ,and new hosts, will schedule weekend TTW walks.  The TTW websites are a tool offering an open opportunity for new TTW Walk Organizers and Walk Hosts to schedule TTW walks for schedules and locations of their choice.    click here to read more about incentives for TTW organizers and co-organizers.

There Are Economic Incentives for Volunteer Organizers!

In 2008, the first ten (10) registered and approved TTW Volunteer Organizers (VO) will be introduced and identified to their TTW audiences on both the TTW domain web site, and the associated TTW Meetup.com web sites.  There’s room for 20 co-organizers on the TTW Meetup.com web site, and an unlimited number on independent sites.  TTW encourages VOs to use their TTW online recognition and experience to create fee-based TTW-style walks directly through each recognized VO’s own website or independent contact base. 

Also on a limited time and space basis, for TTW-style walks organized by nonprofit organizations who are represented by at least one participating registered TTW organizer, host or guest, TTW will put their fee-based TTW-style walks on the TTW calendar, with all the fees processed and kept by the nonprofit organization. 

This VO trade is made possible by the volunteer commitment of Fran Rew as webmaster and TTW Co-Founder, and restricted to the time period of April 5, 2008 to November 1, 2008.

Goal of Topic-Talk Walks.

The goal of Topic-Talk Walks (TTW) is to qualify by 2010 as one of many hubs that provide support for TTW walk reservations, and support programs for Walk Organizers, Walk Hosts and Walk Guests.  The intent is that out of the total number of TTW walks in each hub, 50% of the walks will be free, and 50% will be fee-based. 

Can there be more TTW Co-Founders?

There will definitely need to be more TTW Co-Founders, for TTW to grow.  The TTW  policy and role of all Co-Founders needs to include, not exclude, people representing all compatible products, services, and topics, for TTW be able to invite volunteer organizers, hosts and guests with diverse interests compatible with a happy healthy family and community.  

One of the key options in the Reciprocal Trade Agreement (RTA) for new Co-Founders is that they will have the first opportunity to negotiate a partnership, purchase or trade for the TTW domain and trade name in 2009.