Creativity, Love, Happiness & All That Falls Between

Switching Things Up

2010-02-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

I decided to secure my own domain name and move my blog over to WordPress. If you followed me on this blog, or even if you only checked in every so often, I hope you'll consider subscribing to the posts on my new site, Essential Elements at http://nikkistephan.com.

Thanks for reading!

Sweet Plum Vintage Jewelry Company Owner Dishes on Inspiration and Her Business

2010-02-11T19:20:00.013-05:00

I'm introducing a new feature on my blog: Q&A's with creative types who are doing something interesting and unique that deserves attention. Cara Rosaen, Ann Arbor resident and owner of a handcrafted vintage button jewelry company called Sweet Plum Vintage, kindly agreed to let me feature her first.

**Note to readers: Cara is graciously offering 25% off your first Sweet Plum Vintage purchase. Mention that you read this post in the comments section of the checkout and you'll be refunded 25%. Ladies - it's a good excuse for a Valentine's Day purchase for yourself!

Now, on to the questions...

Your jewelry made from vintage buttons is so creative and artsy. How did you decide to focus solely on vintage buttons?

It just kind of happened. I'm not sure if I found the buttons, or the buttons found me. I am obsessed with estate sales and thrift shops, and one day I came across a bag of circa 1950's black and silver iridescent glass buttons. I had never seen anything like them and knew I had to make something out of them! I started tinkering around. Tinkering turned into late nights and early mornings playing with wire, glue, beads and other little pieces of vintage ephemera.

I also know that I was turned onto buttons because I love heirlooms. I love that certain things remind people of people they love, or of fond memories, or inspire them in some way. I come from a long line of keepsake collectors. My Gram, for instance, puts little notes with her things that say who gave her a keepsake and when. This sentimentality, the meaning behind certain objects, is what inspires the heart of my business, heirloom button jewelry collections. I hope the bulk of my business turns into the co-design and creation of heirloom collections. That is where I am heading.

Have you always made jewelry? Was there a point in your life where you knew you were destined for jewelry making?

Definitely not. I was a complete beginner. I continue to take classes and courses on metalsmithing, casting and new beading techniques. I certainly never thought I was destined for jewelry. I am really calm when I am making jewelry. It sits right with me, and after years of heading down different career paths, it felt good to find something that just felt right.

What motivates/inspires you? It can be a person, Web site, TV show, musician...anything!

1) The natural environment, with all of its organic, textural, awe-inspiring beauty.

2) The vintage pieces themselves: the buttons, old ribbon, old pieces of costume jewelry, watch parts, old buckles, old board game pieces....anything I think could be turned into jewelry.

3) Folk music: Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Nanci Griffith, Alison Krauss, Taj Mahal...any of these people can transport me into a place where my heart sings and creativity can flow.

4) Other artists! Some of my most recent obsessions include:

BroadStreet : http://www.etsy.com/shop/BroadStreet

An embroidered wood grain clock: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37013516

Kathi Roussel jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kathiroussel

Maria's Crochet Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MariasCrochetShop

Small Things Designs: http://www.smallthingsdesigns.com/

5) FOOD! You may notice that many of the names of my pieces are named after food, mostly desserts.

Did you have a career before jewelry making? If so, what made you stroll down this new path?

I spent seven or eight years prepping to become a psychotherapist. I got my undergraduate degree in "Holistic and Atomistic Approaches to Health" (a degree that I designed) and then worked as a research assistant studying meditation and its social emotional effects on teenagers. I continued my studies in a graduate degree program for Marriage and Family Therapy and was seeing clients for about a year when I totally burned out. I realized very quickly that this work touched me in a way that was too raw to continue with for the rest of my life. So, on the verge of having my MFT Master's Degree, I decided to change directions with my life. I quit graduate school and started an online book-selling business, Bookin' Good, to fill my time while I tried to gather my strength again and search for something that spoke to my soul. During this time, I was going to a lot of estate sales, looking for books (which I was never much interested in) and found I really just wanted to be looking at the jewelry. I found some buttons and Sweet Plum Vintage was born.

Writers have writers' block. Is there such a thing as artists' block? If so, how do you conquer it?

Totally. My work offers me the wonderful challenge of having to create something new each time I sit down. Every piece I make is one of a kind, so I have to essentially start from a blank slate each time I want to create a new piece.

I'm convinced artists' block is so often caused by entanglement with the ego, in fear that people won't like my stuff, or that the piece I make in honor of some family member won't be good enough. When I let go of my ego and have the courage to let go of my fear and doubt, the ideas and passion flow again.

I would also add that I get "entrepreneur's block", which I describe as a general state of overload. Owning your own business requires you to wear many hats, and I often feel I am not getting anything done, because I'm thinking about too many things at the same time. The most effective thing for this that I have found is meditation to bring you back to the present moment, and writing things down, so that they aren't swimming in your head.

Do you have any "must read" books, blogs or Web sites for others pursuing a similar career?

Books:

"The Complete Metalsmith" by Tim McCreight

"Craft, Inc: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business" by Meg Mateo Ilasco

Currently reading: "The E-Myth" by Michael E. Gerber (I've been told it is a must read for any small business owner!)

Favorite Blogs/Websites:

"Apartment Therapy" http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

"Creative Kismet" http://blog.creativekismet.com/

"Modish" http://modish.typepad.com/

"The Storque" http://www.etsy.com/storque/

I love the name "Sweet Plum Vintage". Is there a special meaning behind it?

I used to live in California with my husband in a pretty magical neighborhood on top of a hill in a little red house. We lived in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountain surrounded by majestic redwoods, soaring red-tailed hawks, grazing deer, acorn woodpeckers and all kinds of fruit trees. I was struggling to find a name that really resonated with me, and one day as I was looking out our big front window, I saw our beautiful plum tree that every year produced hundreds of sweet, juicy plums. At that moment, Sweet Plum Vintage was born. I thought it worked well, as a playful name that references nature as well as vintage materials, pointing to the fact that my work is made from almost exclusively eco-friendly, vintage materials.

What advice do you have for other creative types?

Trust that you have something special to add in this life.

While you may not want to think about the money aspect of a business, don't be afraid to do it. Think about how much money you would like to make a year, and work backwards to determine what you would need to make a month and how you are going to do it.

Don't forget to laugh along the way.

Word-Up! Talking Trashing For Kids and Dictionaries

2010-02-08T20:43:00.007-05:00

Engaging in good-natured trash talking can be fun, right? Add to that a 70’s-themed tennis tournament (complete with a disco ball) that will benefit The Dictionary Project I’m supporting, and you’ve got Word-Up (Facebook event page).

On Saturday, February 27th, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., area bloggers and social-media enthusiasts will step out from behind the safety of their monitors and iPhones to face off at the Birmingham Racquet Club.

For a group of Detroiters accustomed to scrapping out turf in the cyber world by skillfully lobbing poignant barbs, placing the perfect spin on headlines and relying on the fastest servers, the opportunity to see who rises to the top in a face-to-face battle of good ole' fashion trash talk was too much to resist.

All proceeds from the event will go to The Dictionary Project to help complete the mission of putting a dictionary in the hands of 25% of Oakland County School District's 3rd graders by March 25.

You can play, attend, support or sponsor Word-Up. You may as well, cuz if you don't, we'll just talk trash about you anyway. ;)

So how will the tournament work?

Each court will play doubles for 20 minutes, then rotate up the river/down the river style and record the amount of games they won.

At the end of the two hours, we will add up all of the game totals and the players with the highest scores (winners can be on any court) will win a prize…or some trash talk from the non-winners!

The theme is stylish 70's athletic wear (not required, but strongly encouraged). A prize will be awarded for best costume, so the more creative and eccentric, the better!

Tennis and spectator spots are limited and on a first come, first serve basis.

Ticket types include:

Racquet-Wielding Word Warrior (aka tennis player) $20

Sideline Mudslinger (aka onlooker) $10

Benevolent Benefactor $30 (aka gets you in the door as a sideline mudslinger + a shiny pin that lets everyone know you're a high-roller)

Anonymous Benefactor (aka you're above attending plebeian events, but would like to contribute to the cause)

An after party location will be announced during the event.

Feel free to RSVP on the Facebook page, but your spot isn’t confirmed until you register on the Eventbrite page - http://word.eventbrite.com /.

I realize tennis isn’t for everyone, but I sincerely hope you consider coming to the event if you live in metro Detroit, at least for the sheer amusement of wannabe tennis players running around in 70’s outfits and talking trash for kids! Let's have some fun, raise some cash and make a bunch of third graders happy by giving them new dictionaries.

Photowalks Detroit Proves There's a Photographer in Everyone

2010-01-31T16:04:00.005-05:00

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. ~Ansel Adams

This weekend I participated in the second Photowalks Detroit (Facebook page) event hosted at The Henry Ford Museum. I was hesitant at first to attend because I'm not a professional photographer and I only have a simple point and shoot camera. I thought my photos would look very amateur compared to others' photos. Some of the people who attended the first photowalk in Royal Oak promised that it wasn't necessary to have a fancy camera. They also reminded me that if the person behind the camera has a creative eye, then the photos will turn out great. I had nothing to lose by joining the group on their museum adventure.

I believe it's important to explore paths outside of your comfort zone every so often because you'll always take away something beneficial from the experience. The Henry Ford photowalk was an excellent experiment in creativity. What I lacked in camera technology I attempted to make up for in the angles at which I took the photos. It was fun to play photographer for a few hours and bond in real life with friends who I initially connected with online.

Check out the stream of photowalk tweets and the Flickr group. My photos are tagged as EstrellaBella10. Thanks a million to Becks Davis and Dave Peckens for organizing a great event!

If you live outside the metro Detroit area, I highly recommend forming a similar group, or doing some research to see if one already exists.

Interview With Creative Cosmetics Queen Bobbi Brown

2010-01-24T20:08:00.006-05:00

I read an interview with Bobbi Brown (the makeup artist) in today's New York Times and thought her answers were very intriguing and different...in a good way.

The first part of the interview focused on what Bobbi looks for in an employee and her hiring process. Two of her answers stood out to me:

When talking about what qualities she looks for in an employee, Bobbi mentions the ability to communicate. As someone who works in a creative industry, I can relate to what Bobbi said. "Communicating. To me, this is probably the biggest thing. If it’s the right person, I can barely speak and they understand what I’m saying. But if it’s not the right person, they have trouble understanding, because creative people are not like other people. Any other creative C.E.O. will understand what I’m talking about."

The interviewer asked Bobbi if she could only choose two questions to ask in an interview, what would they be? One of her responses was "what do you love"? All too often, interviews focus too heavily on the job and not enough on the person. It's important to mix in personal questions like "who do you admire/look up to", "what are your passions?", "what do you enjoy doing in your spare time" to learn more about who the person REALLY is.

You can read the rest of the interview titled "High Heels? They Just Don't Fit" here.

Photo credit

Dictionaries Needed for Hazel Park School District

2010-01-19T19:54:00.003-05:00

Want to help me give dictionaries to third graders in the Hazel Park School District? Click on the widget to the right!

Trust me, I know everyone is overwhelmed with "please donate" requests. This is a particularly hard time because of the recent disaster in Haiti. Even if you can only spare $5, know that every little bit counts!

Dictionaries Bring Happiness to Third Graders in Ferndale School District

2010-01-17T14:54:00.009-05:00

This past Wednesday, 58 third graders at John F. Kennedy School received new dictionaries thanks to the dictionary project I'm participating in with local bloggers, PositiveDetroit.net and Operation: Kid Equip. The whole team (Jen Wright, Becks Davis, Lauren Weber, Erin Rose and Menachem Kniespeck) was there to witness the kids beam from ear to ear when we put the dictionaries in their hands.

The kids showed their appreciation with plenty of "thank yous" and hugs. The principal called on a few students and asked them to share how they were feeling. Answers ranged from "special and loved" to "very happy and excited." A few of the third graders asked us questions about the dictionaries and our personal blogs. I was impressed that the kids knew what a blog is!

You can read more about the distribution and the dictionary project in this article in The Oakland Press. Becks Davis has more photos on her Flickr page.

I want to touch on something brought up in the comments in The Oakland Press article. A commenter expressed her discontent over Oakland County schools receiving the dictionaries because (1) it's one of the wealthiest counties in the nation and (2) the article has quotes referencing how we're helping "Detroit" (it's a known fact that people here frequently use "Detroit" to refer to southeast MI, and some native Detroiters are bothered by this).

Menachem did a great job of setting the record straight in his comment. Oakland County may have been named one of the richest counties in the nation at one point, but many people don't realize that more than 50,000 students in Oakland County are on the free and reduced lunch program. Third graders in the Hazel Park School District are next up on the list to receive free dictionaries. More than 70 percent of those students receive free or reduced lunches. These statistics and others prove that poverty in Oakland County is no longer specific to the cities traditionally labeled as poor. You can find more info at on the Operation: Kid Equip site.

At the end of the day, all that really matters is the dictionary donations make students feel happy, cared for and loved. We don't know which ones belong to families who are struggling financially. We can only hope that this project will give the students more insight into the importance of knowing how to read and write well.

We still have a ways to go to reach our goal of giving dictionaries to roughly 2,700 third graders in Oakland County. With your continued support, we can make it happen. Donation details are included in my previous post, but ping me if you need more info. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!

Top photo credit

Three Lessons on Success from Lady Gaga

2010-01-13T21:29:00.008-05:00

Last night I became a Lady Gaga fan. Or, in Gaga's words, I'm now one of her "little monsters". I was teeter tottering on the edge of being a fan until I saw Lady Gaga in concert. Check out this Detroit Free Press review for more concert details.

The concert got me thinking about how Lady Gaga rose to stardom so quickly. I wrote before about the beauty of simplicity, but Lady Gaga is a perfect example of how doing exactly the opposite can work to your benefit when you're doing what you love.

When you break down her star power, it becomes obvious that she can teach us all a few things about finding success.

1. Be unique. This may seem like a "captain obvious" suggestion, but I bet you can name more than a handful of people who are trying to carve out their own pathway to success by directly copying off others. She may be an exotic blend of Madonna, Marilyn Manson and David Bowie, but she's done an awesome job of differentiating herself among these and other music moguls.

2. Be better than your competition. Britney Spears was previously the queen of pop/dance music and high energy concerts. Lady Gaga has dethroned her. I've never seen Britney in concert, but I do know she doesn't sing live. Lady Gaga sang her entire set live, bounced around the stage in choreographed dance numbers, played the piano (sometimes while standing on the bench) AND sounded amazing. The best way to beat out your competition is to show the world why you deserve to be on top. Lady Gaga has raw vocal talent, and sadly, that can't be said for everyone else who sings pop music.

3. Be real and sincere. Lady Gaga's show was supposed to be at a different venue, then it randomly got switched. A lot of people's tickets (including ours) got messed up in the process. Lady Gaga apologized for the venue swap during one of her chats with the audience. Unexpected, but very much appreciated. Her sincerity came out several more times during the show as she talked to the crowd about finding fame and what her fans mean to her.

You know she's real because her songs have meaning and tell interesting stories woven with love, pain, insecurities and fear. (she also writes her own songs). Lady Gaga made it very obvious that she's no southern belle. Nor is she trying to be. Love her or hate her, what you see is what you get.

You can take these lessons and apply them to any individual, company, brand, product, service, etc. Throw in some hardcore passion and perseverance with the above suggestions and you've got a nice recipe for success.

If you're ga-ga for Gaga and have learned anything from this 23-year-old mega star, please share!

Photo credit

Test Shows You How Creatively You Think

2010-01-04T20:56:00.004-05:00

Creativity is a very in-demand skill...and not only for the design and communication industries. Creativity can be applied to any job in any industry. There are always ways to improve products and services. Workers who think creatively are needed to help a business operate successfully.

I write a lot about creativity on this blog (hence the title), so I was interested when I saw a link on Twitter to a test that shows you how creatively you think. Hat tip to @joshlinkner for sharing this test from the Flanders DC site.

The results of this test are divided into two sections - your personal score on the creativity index and innovation in your work environment. An explanation of the results is also provided. I found the results to be very in line with my personality and my work environment. My only complaint about the test is the five possible answers:

	this is not at all typical of me
	this is not really typical of me
	this is more or less typical of me
	this is pretty typical of me
	this is completely typical of me

I found it difficult to choose between some of the answers that are closely related, such as "not at all typical" and "not really typical". Regardless, the results were very accurate and I think this is an interesting test. Give it a shot and see if you get the results you expected.

Photo credit

Some Thoughts on Goals as We Ring in the New Year

2009-12-30T19:53:00.007-05:00

Happy New Years Eve! It's hard to believe, but we're on the brink of not only a new year, but a new decade. It's tradition to make resolutions that we (hopefully) will follow through on in the new year. I've set some solid goals for myself in 2010 that include redesigning this blog (same content, but with a new blog platform and fresh look) and continuing to take part in initiatives that better my community (like the dictionary project I'm helping with).

We're pressured to make wise resolutions, and we're also bombarded with predictions and suggestions on how to make 2010 the "best year ever". Don't worry, I'll spare you another "Top 10 Ways to Make 2010 Rock" post. I do want to share this CNN Health article, "10 ways to get motivated for change in 2010" because it's one of the better lists I came across.

Many people don't accomplish goals they set for the new year because those goals aren't realistic. According to the article, experts say it's important to be realistic, specific and accountable when determining what you plan to achieve in the future. This article struck a chord with me because it hones in on how to successfully make positive changes in the coming year.

The article covers this point, but to set actionable goals (for yourself in this instance, but this also applies to any clients you work with) you have to truly understand the source. Don't choose a goal that everyone else has on their list simply to follow suit. Set a goal that really aligns with your personality.

Perfect example: I was determined to love running this year. I forced myself to get in the mindset that hating running was a thing of the past, and I would embrace it as my new favorite form of cardio. I stuck with it for quite awhile this year, but finally I took a step back and accepted that running just isn't my thing. I tweaked my goal of doing some form of cardio on a regular basis by replacing running with two much more enjoyable cardio machines at my gym.

Whatever 2010 goals you choose, I sincerely hope you continue doing the things that you love and find ways to spread happiness to others!

P h o t o c r e d i t

K.I.S.S. - Keep it Simple Silly

2009-12-19T20:47:00.004-05:00

I celebrated the holidays with my colleagues this week. Our holiday party was toned down compared to previous years, but we all collectively agreed this is what we wanted. It didn't feel right to spend lavishly on a holiday event during a time when many people can't even afford groceries. We had a happy hour in our board room instead of an elaborate event at a fancy restaurant or club. The party still included some of the same elements as previous years, like good food and a holiday trivia contest (prizes included!). The simplicity worked, and we all left happy.

Our holiday party reminded me that simple things can make a big impression, and I've been going over this topic in my head for a few days. Think of simplicity in terms of design. If an advertisement or Web site has too much going on (colors, words, objects, patterns, etc.), then the attention of the viewer is put at risk and that person may ignore the company/brand/product showcased. Chris Brogan recently wrote this post, "Simplicity Trumps Most Other Emotions", about how simplicity affects purchasing decisions.

I've learned the simplicity lesson with client events. Being creative with an event doesn't mean you have to make it over-the-top. Simple, well-executed events that appeal to your target crowd will be just as successful.

Same goes for writing. A creative and inspiring article or blog post doesn't need to include smarty pants words that the average person would never use in a normal conversation.

I learned a lesson of simplicity last Christmas, I decided to buy my dad a surround sound speaker system for his living room TV. I really wanted to get him a gift that would make him grin from ear-to-ear on Christmas morning. What I failed to think about before buying the gift was the size of my dad's living room. The surround sound system would have cluttered the room and it would have been very difficult to install. I was too focused on the "wow" factor of the gift, and it ended up going back to the store. My dad would have been perfectly happy with a simpler gift that didn't require a lot of legwork or effort.

I'm not saying going overboard and making something bigger than it needs to be will result in failure. My point is this: You can be creative and make others happy without doing something on a grandiose scale.

P h o t o c r e d i t

How You Can Help Metro Detroit Students Become Powerful Writers and Creative Thinkers

2009-12-08T19:29:00.023-05:00

I'm taking part in a very cool and creative initiative that will help make a difference in the lives of metro Detroit children.

Female bloggers from the local Detroit area are joining PositiveDetroit.net, in collaboration with Operation: Kid Equip, to provide at least 25 percent of Oakland County Schools with dictionaries for third graders.

Erin Rose of Positive Detroit, Becks Davis of Detroit Moxie, Jennifer Wright of Looking Glass Lane, Lauren Weber of Staircase to Earth's Loveliness and I spend much of our time writing on our respective blogs. We want to help give the same opportunities to local students as we were given in our writing classes as children. We want to encourage local students to become better writers.

With the assistance of Operation: Kid Equip and its participation with The Dictionary Project, we will be distributing dictionaries specifically written for third graders who are at the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn.

Now through March 15, 2010, we are raising money to provide roughly 2,700 third graders in Oakland County with brand new dictionaries. To give you an idea of the impact you can make, for a $20 donation, you can supply at least eight third graders with dictionaries.

An anonymous donor has graciously offered to match donations, dictionary-for-dictionary, up to the first 100 dictionaries. Just think - your donation today can double the amount of children who are being served tomorrow.

Reading and writing have always been an enormous part of my life. I started reading earlier than most children (basically as soon as I could form sensible sentences), and I was the speed reader who finished all the reading assignments first in elementary school. Knowing how to read goes hand-in-hand with knowing how to write. As a public relations professional who spends gobs of time writing, I understand that it's an art and a craft. Loving to read early on in life, coupled with constantly using a dictionary to build my vocabulary, helped me polish my writing skills. I wish every child in this world could learn how to become powerful writers. Together, we can play a part in shaping the futures of children who enjoy reading and writing by giving them dictionaries.

Here is how you can help:

1. Click here to make a PayPal donation for $100, $50, $20 or $10.

2. Mail a check payable to:

Operation: Kid Equip
PO Box 364
Royal Oak, MI 48068-0364

Be sure to write Dictionary Project in the memo line.

3. Contact menachem@operationkidequip.org to make a credit card or
other form of payment outside of PayPal.

4. If you would like to join the female bloggers collaboration
with your blog, contact Erin Rose at positivedetroit@gmail.com.

About Operation: Kid Equip
As an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit community benefit organization, we realize that to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness, we have to meet some very basic, yet overlooked needs. Operation: Kid Equip acts as a conduit for collecting and distributing tangible educational and school supplies to school-aged children. Operation: Kid Equip effects long term improvement in the community by providing at-risk kids with the core necessities they need to prosper in school and in life. Visit our website at www.operationkidequip.org.

About The Dictionary Project
The Dictionary Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The goal of this program is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come.

**Photo credit: jovike

Lemonade: How a Job Loss Forced Creative Types to Find Their Passions

2009-12-03T21:08:00.013-05:00

How many times has this thought crossed your mind: "I'd have so much more time to do (fill in the blank) if I didn't work so much." I've said this to myself on several occasions. I don't hate my job in the slightest bit, but I wish each day was about 10 hours longer so I could dedicate more time to things I love (playing tennis and reading books in Spanish, to name a few).

I learned about the Lemonade movie from Chris Brogan's post, "Have You Been Laid Off", and Valeria Maltoni's post, "50 Ways to Make Limoncello When You've Been Laid Off". Side note: If you are currently out of work or fear you may lose your job soon, READ VALERIA'S POST!

According to the the Lemonade movie Web site, more than 130,000 advertising professionals have recently lost their job. Lemonade showcases what happens when people who used to receive compensation to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives. Rather than wallowing in their sorrows, the people featured in the video seized the opportunity to do something that really matters to them. The job loss was somewhat of a blessing in disguise because these creatives explored new paths and rediscovered a part of their lives that had been missing.

Do all job losses lead the person affected on a magical journey of self-exploration and creative freedom? Absolutely not. Trust me, I've witnessed how a job loss can completely demolish a person's life. But it's reassuring to watch this video and see how happy these people are because they are doing something they really love...all thanks to a job loss.

This video should also raise a few questions with anyone who watches it. Do you devote enough time to your passions? Do you need to do a better job at prioritizing what really matters in life?

We need jobs because we need to earn a living. We also need a will to live. Something deeper than living solely to climb the corporate ladder. I adamantly believe a person's success in any career derives from passion, but passion must exist in other forms in order to have a healthy and meaningful life.

Have you found a successful way to balance work and activities you love? Has the "lemonade" affect happened to you or someone you know?

Photo credit: cfwhitney

What You Need to Remember This Thanksgiving...and Every Day

2009-11-26T21:46:00.007-05:00

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. I'm writing this post from my couch right now with a stuffed stomach, which means I took full advantage of the one day each year that we are expected to over-eat.

I love Thanksgiving because of the food (who doesn't?), but also because it's a holiday where we reflect on why we are thankful. I've been participating in the 30 Days of Gratitude challenge this month (I won't lie, I've missed a few days). This post expands on what I touched on in that post when I introduced the gratitude project.

The daily themes have helped me dig deeper to reveal gratitude for things other than what's usually top-of-mind - family, shelter and health. This project has reinforced that expressing gratitude as often as possible is a must. I've discovered that while I'm grateful for countless reasons, I'm really, REALLY thankful for friends and family who show care and appreciation. These are people who care about others just as much (if not more) than they do for themselves.

It's important to be successful in life (I realize success is defined in various ways), but it's just as important to make others happy. The most minimal expressions of care and gratitude can go a very long way. Here are a few personal examples:

A client at my agency who I don't work with on a daily basis but who I have connected with on and off line mailed me a congratulations card after I got promoted. I would have more than appreciated a congratulatory message on Twitter because that's how we frequently communicate, so I really appreciated him taking the time to mail me a card.

I did something nice for a friend/neighbor recently that probably only took up a few minutes of my day. As with the above example, I would have been satisfied with a text, phone call or e-mail to say thank you. Instead, my neighbor gave me a card and small gift. He wrote in the card that what I did made his wife and kids so happy.

A friend who recently went to Europe sent me a postcard from Italy. I'm Italian, and she knows Italy is on my short list of cities I want to visit. I was really touched that she thought of me on her trip and made sure to send me a little piece of Italy.

The moral of the story: Find a way to express gratitude and show people that you care. This doesn't need to be in the form of a card or a gift. Words are powerful. And please, don't wait until next November when you're surrounded by reminders that Thanksgiving means it's time to show thanks. :)

**Photo credit

Yeah Baby! There's Lots to Love About Ernie's Market

2009-11-09T20:22:00.009-05:00

There are countless fabulous restaurants close to where I live, but MAL had been telling me for awhile that I HAD to visit Ernie's Market in Oak Park. He promised me it would be an experience and never would I encounter another person who loves to make sandwiches as much as Ernie does.

MAL didn't lie. Happy employees can make or break a customer's experience, and I can't imagine one customer walking out of Ernie's Market unsatisfied. Ernie is a 60-something happy-go-lucky kind of guy. After welcoming us with a hello and a big smile, Ernie immediately pointed out that I hadn't been there before. He asked me to put an open palm on the counter, and he dropped three Hershey's kisses in my hand. Now, one thing you need to know about Ernie before you go there is he's loud...very loud! Not in an annoying or overwhelming way, but more in a "I'm so excited to see you I could scream!" kind of way. Ernie's signature phrase is "Yeah baby!", which he exclaims whenever he gets the chance. Letters spelling out that phrase and this sign are front and center on the counter:

While Ernie piled our sandwiches high with the toppings of our choice (yelling out each topping as he added it to the sandwich), he asked me to guess how long he's been running the market. I didn't believe he had been there more than 50 years, but Ernie said it's been close to 60 years. He also said he's been making sandwiches day after day for decades because it's what he loves to do.

Before we left, Ernie made sure to tell us there's a Facebook fan page for Ernie's Market. He doesn't use a computer, but two of the sweet ladies who work for him update the page. It's obvious from the comments and photos on the fan page that Ernie has made quite an impact on his customers.

Ernie drew a smiley-faced heart on my heavy sandwich (and I opted for the smaller size!) before sending us on our way with a "Yeah baby!" and a request that we return often.

Ernie's energy and passion for his business is inspiring. If you live in the Detroit area, take a trip to Ernie's Market the next time you're in the mood for a hearty sandwich and a few smiles. You won't be disappointed!

Take the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge

2009-10-31T15:21:00.006-04:00

Photo credit

Thanksgiving is traditionally known as the holiday for giving thanks and expressing gratitude for our fortunes. We should ideally act this way all year long, but unfortunately acts of thankfulness aren't always top-of-mind. So instead of waiting for Thanksgiving, why not express gratitude throughout the entire month of November?

I got an e-mail from a friend the other day encouraging me to take part in the 30 Days of Gratitude challenge. According to the project's Web site, scientific research shows that practicing gratitude on a daily basis can increase your happiness and life satisfaction. The goal of this project is to bring people together to practice gratefulness during the month of November.

Sounds cool, right? To get started, register on the site and choose if you want to share what you're grateful for once a day or weekly (you'll receive an e-mail reminder to submit your gratitude daily or weekly, depending on which you choose). You can submit a gratitude of your choosing or one that goes along with the theme of the day. There are different ways to participate (as an individual, family, with someone who doesn't have access to a computer, etc.), so check out the Web site for the details.

The Hagopian family (I ALWAYS see commercials for the family's rug cleaning business) is the brains behind this creative project. According to the friend who sent me the e-mail, Edgar Hagopian is one of the most generous benefactors in the Michigan Armenian community. The family grew tired of all the gloom and doom in Michigan, so they decided to do something to bring people together to celebrate the positives rather than focusing on the negatives. They've reached out to people beyond Michigan, and now 29 states and 10 countries are participating in this project.

I know what you're thinking, because it was my initial reaction, too: I don't have time to do this. Seriously though, when you really think about it, it will take all of five minutes to do this daily. I'm confident I can think of 30 different reasons why I'm grateful. If practicing daily gratitude really helps elevate happiness, then imagine what 30 straight days of showing gratitude can do for your overall outlook on life.

I'm really looking forward to getting started on this tomorrow, and I'm interested to read what others submit. Leave a comment or ping me to let me know if you're sucking it up and doing the 30 Days of Gratitude challenge!

Coca-Cola's "Expedition 206" Will Share Stories of Happiness From All Across the World

2009-10-25T19:36:00.010-04:00

Photo credit

Coca-Cola and crayon are working on a super creative campaign next year called "Expedition 206". In a nutshell, Coca-Cola is enlisting three happiness ambassadors to visit all 206 countries where the company sells its products. The expedition will last throughout 2010. The ambassadors' goal will be to "seek out what makes people happy and share their happiness and enthusiasm with the rest of the world."

Naturally, social media will play a huge role in sharing these happy stories. The happiness ambassadors will document their travels by using social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr. Fans will be encouraged to get involved by acting as "virtual travel agents" and giving the brand ambassadors suggestions on cool places to go and fun things to do in each country.

It seems as if the Coke folks may have taken a few notes from Ford's Fiesta Movement. However, I don't see anything wrong with taking a few ideas from an already successful campaign and adding in new elements to make it unique.

Check out this MediaPost article for more details: "Coke Ambassadors Taking Social Media Old School With Around The World Trip".

I'll admit that I'm more of a Pepsi aficionado (simply based on taste), but this campaign is intriguing and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out next year. What I like about this campaign is that real fans will be sharing stories of optimism and happiness...all related to this one brand. It's a much better idea than Coke doing the storytelling. If I had to make a choice right now, I'd say this campaign will be wildly successful.

What are your thoughts? Do you see this campaign failing or succeeding?

How Your Love Language Can Help You Be a Better Communicator

2009-10-19T21:16:00.008-04:00

**Photo attribution

During my college days, a good friend introduced me to the book "The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman. Dr. Chapman uses real life examples from more than 30 years of marriage counseling to explain the five languages people use to express love: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch.

Now, I obviously wasn't married when I read this (I say obviously because I'm still not married), but it opened my eyes to not only the way I prefer to express and receive love, but also who I am as a communicator. I learned that my love language goes beyond communication with my significant other. It also applies to the way I communicate with everyone in my life.

I could relate to a few of the love languages throughout the course of the book, but the one I really identified with is Words of Affirmation. This means that aside from liking verbal compliments (c'mon, who doesn't like verbal compliments now and then!), I prefer to give and receive encouragement, call attention to progress, acknowledge successes and varying perspectives on any given topic and talk through problems to find a solution.

If we take the time to figure out how people prefer to communicate, we can build more substantial relationships. These five languages can also be applied to friends, family and clients. Physical touch could mean a friend/family member needs a hug to feel better when they are upset. A client may need quality time in person with you every week to feel like you truly value them as a partner and appreciate their business. A coworker may need you to vocalize how well he/she did on a project you worked on together in order to truly feel satisfied with the work.

Since I'm the type of person who prefers to receive words of affirmation, I also make a conscious effort to give this type of encouragement to others. Here are a few suggestions on how to impact this type of communicator:

Express gratitude and appreciation.
Be generous with compliments...but only if you mean them!
Talk through problems in person.
Highlight accomplishments and successes. However, be sensitive to personalities. If the person is easily embarrassed, shining the spotlight on that person in front of a large group is not the best idea.
Express how you feel about someone (in the appropriate setting of course). If you really admire someone, or think they are an awesome person who you love being around, tell them!

We'll all face communication challenges at various points in our life. Making an effort to accommodate to different communication preferences is an important part of the relationship-building process. A small effort can go a long way!

Personal Branding + Social Media = Brand Camp University

2009-10-11T18:13:00.008-04:00

**Photo courtesy of Hajj Flemings

Did you know you're a brand? Each and every one of us has a personal brand, and that brand is amplified by the conversations and content we share online.

The concept of social media's affect on personal branding is the foundation of Brand Camp University, an event I attended over the weekend at Lawrence Tech University. Attendees ranged from entrepreneurs and communications professionals to business owners and students. The rockstar speaker lineup included the following:

Hajj Flemings - author of "The Brand YU Life" and found of Brand Camp U (Brandon Chesnutt was this year's co-organizer); Scott Monty, global and digital communications manager for Ford Motor Company; April L. Holmes, world's fastest amputee and 2008 paralympic gold medalist; Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image; Kenneth Brown, best selling author of "A Leap of Faith" and McDonald's franchisee; Rohit Bhargava, senior VP strategy and marketing at Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence; Valeria Maltoni, co-author of "The Age of Conversation" and blogger for Fast Company Magazine and Bob Fish, CEO and co-founder of Biggby Coffee.

The knowledge I gained from these speakers is invaluable. I can honestly say that each presentation was outstanding and very on-par with the type of info I was hoping to take away from this conference. I filled about five pages of notes, but here are details from each presentation related to the themes I focus on in this blog:

Hajj Flemings

Hustle is your passion, what you would love to do full time. Your passion needs to be a mesh of what you do on a daily basis and what you do on the side.
Genius equals intersections of passion, problem and process.
Read the book "Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity".
Passion can’t be taught, but everyone is passionate about something.
One of the great ways to meet your own needs is to help someone else.
Use social media tools to amplify who you are and what you do. Identify your own signature voice and separate yourself in the space you are in.

Mitch Joel – How You Connect in a Connected World

A brand is an emotional connection. Universally, we all connect to this same thing.
Establish your values, goals and beliefs – find the real you (internal conversation).
Really listen to learn problems others have, then relate to them and form a relationship (one-to-one conversation). The more you give the more you’ll receive.
The Free Hugs Campaign video on YouTube is an example of how one person can have a positive impact on many (one-to-many conversation). In a day and age when people are trying to separate everyone, Juan Mann brought people together.

Social media is not about technology. It's about being authentic and understanding your internal convo (personal brand).
Make friends, play nice, tell the truth, take a bath, do your homework (way to create a personal brand).

Rohit Bhargava – How Your Personal Brand Can Save the World

If you don’t have to spend 15 minutes explaining who you are, you have more time to build a relationship.
The idea that drawing, writing, acting, etc. is only for certain people is always out there. You define who you want to be and become. It’s all about creativity and innovation.
Keys to building a powerful personal brand: don’t limit yourself, stand for something, find your twist, rethink your packaging, take the right risks (life is like Jenga – pull the right blocks out at the right time), think visually (like how Target creatively changed the design of its prescription bottles) and create/do what you love.

Valeria Maltoni – Personal Brand in a Wired World

How do you come across in real life vs. online? If you’re nice in person, you come across as nice online. Online tools let you amplify who you are.
Take a step back and look at the way you portray yourself online – is it authentic?
Organizations can be more powerful online if you help build a team.
Do: participate, share, listen actively, give value, appreciate.
Valeria came to the U.S. barely able to speak English and knowing no one. But she came with the determination to connect and to be helpful (her story was very inspiring).
Fit your own personality into everything you do and accept who you are “because that rocks”.

Ken Brown

LIFE = live in freedom every day.
Your life is not about what happens to you, you can’t control it. But you can control your ability to respond.
Passion is when you set yourself on fire and people will pay to see you burn.
Powerful words can change someone’s life. Ken's parents told him - “God promised you as far as your eyes can see”.
To be truly great, you must first serve others.
Vision is the art of seeing the invisible. When you see the invisible you can do the impossible.
FAMILY = forget about me I love you.
Don’t get caught on the money because you are money – that’s personal branding.

Scott Monty – The Rise of the Brandividual

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh describes his company as a customer service company. Everyone he hires has to go through CS training. He wraps the individual right into the company.
With great power there must also come great responsibility, especially when you’re also responsible for a company's brand.
It's our job to help others understand about brand responsibility and power.
Opening up your corporation/work with a corporation makes you more human.
Competing companies need to collaborate and learn from each other to help customers.

April Holmes – Creating Victory Through Branding

A gold medal is within your reach (April passed her gold medal around the room and told everyone to take a picture with it). Check out my gold medal moment.
Appreciate the journey, and don’t be so focused on the end result. Appreciate the people you meet along the way.
Are you fulfilling your dream or someone else’s? You will fall down and get bloody, but visualize your goal.
A goal in April’s life is to touch other people’s lives, especially those with disabilities.
You may need to take a step to the left or the right, but you’re the only one who knows if you’re traveling in the right direction.
April Holmes Foundation – April's passion, heart and soul.
Learn how to celebrate yourself and know what you want to get a gold medal.

Bob Fish

When Biggby Coffee first started (back then it was Beaners), there were 35 other coffee shops in the East Lansing area. Bob made his company unique/stand out to succeed.
Success depends on knowing who you are and communicating it.
Bob's goal is for every customer to leave the store in a better mood than when they arrived. He hits this goal 72 percent of the time (uses secret shoppers and asks this question).
Core values: you need energy, excitement and enthusiasm – no matter what business you’re in; always have faith, confidence and courage – the real definition of courage is doing something you’re afraid of anyway; dedication and dependability – steadfast tenacious responsibility
Biggby's culture: have fun, be happy, make friends, love people, make great coffee.
There have been three weddings at a Biggby and there are countless stories of people meeting others and forming a relationship at Biggby.
You have to show your personality/persona through social media if you're representing a brand.

A HUGE thank you to Hajj and Brandon for putting on such a kick a** conference! I'm sure the sweat and tears you poured into this conference was worth it.

If this wasn't enough Brand Camp U goodness for you, check out the Twitter stream and photos on Flickr for more.

Detroit Takes Off its “Motor City” Title and Tries on “Fashion City” During First Ever Fashion in Detroit Event

2009-10-05T21:07:00.017-04:00

I love fashion, so I jumped at the opportunity to attend Fashion in Detroit last week as a guest contributor for Positive Detroit. You can read about my experience below. This post also appears on the Positive Detroit blog.

Milan, Paris, Los Angeles and New York City have one major thing in common: They’re fashion hubs. Detroit isn’t one of the first cities that come to mind when we think of fashion, and that’s exactly what the executive committee of Fashion in Detroit (FID) is trying to change. The very first FID event took place October 1 – 2 at the Detroit Zoo. According to its Web site, FID is a bi-annual two-day fashion event created by Project Runway’s Joe Faris to put a fashion spotlight on Detroit and create a venue that fills the needs of many locally based designers and the Detroit fashion community.

The executive committee’s goal of bringing this event to Detroit is to rival other Fashion Weeks across the country.

I had the opportunity to attend the October 2 runway shows as a Positive Detroit contributor (it was weird to be on the other end of the spectrum wearing a press badge!). Now, I won’t claim that I live and breathe fashion, or that I’m a devout fashionista like Angela from Angela’s Eye, but I do invest a lot of thought into creating a wardrobe that reflects the fashion trends of the season. I was beyond excited to experience this first-ever fashion event and share my thoughts on the spring 2010 collections from various designers.

After trudging through the rain and doing my best to avoid splashing mud on my suede booties, I ended up missing Joe Faris’ show. Here’s a breakdown of the remainder of day two’s runway shows:

Kevin Christiana – contestant on Project Runway season 4, head designer and partner of the labels CHRISTIANA ZINN and MYNT 1792. Kevin’s show featured some of his MYNT 1792 collection.

MYNT 1792 is a lifestyle brand created by New Yorkers and inspired by Gotham City’s culture. It includes a combination of unique fashion and well-tailored designs for men and women. This collection featured a lot of skinny pants and 1980s inspiration, like leather, spandex, Michael Jackson inspired cropped jackets and studded vests and jackets.

Thanks to the lovely Stephanie Casola, I got to go backstage and chat with Kevin about being at FID. Kevin and Joe Faris hit it off immediately when they first met, and Joe told Kevin he should be a part of the first ever FID. Kevin said while Detroit is best known for its contribution to the music industry, music and fashion go hand-in-hand, so it makes sense for Detroit to rise up the ranks of the fashion industry. Shorts are Kevin’s favorite item to design and sell because they’re always adorable and easy to shop for online. While in Detroit, Kevin checked out Mon Jin Lau in Troy and Chen Chow in Birmingham.

Carhartt – 120 years in business, located in Dearborn, MI, designer of workwear and outerwear pieces that are known for durability, comfort and quality of construction.

Carhartt showed off some of its items that weren’t the traditional workwear and outerwear pieces. The new line featured a lot of plaid, leather jackets, studded belts, dark denim and cargo paints (spiced up with gladiator style shoes), cropped and tall boots and vests. The pieces were relatively plain without a lot of intricate detail or design. These outfits gave off a comfy chic, semi-grunge vibe.

Femilia Couture – established by designers Fotoula Lambros and Emily Thornhill in January 2007, leans toward using natural based fibers and sustainable materials, locations in Detroit, Ferndale and Milford, MI.

This was the first time I’ve seen Femilia Couture clothing, and I fell madly in love with this label! Sheer and flowing materials, floral designs and layering dominated this line. The designs were very feminine and romantic. Ruffles, bunched dresses, angled cuts, fringe, jumpsuits and off-the-shoulder tops were also prominent. Femilia Couture is perfect for those who love beautifully crafted pieces that make you feel pretty.

Betsey Johnson – world-renowned New York designer with a long-standing fashion career. If you’ve never heard the name Betsey Johnson, then don’t even try to claim you’re into fashion. Betsey is known for injecting creativity into her pieces and making up her own fashion rules. This line was neck-in-neck with Femilia Couture’s as my favorite of day two at FID. The essence of the style featured in this line was funky and flirty.

The models even strutted with more sass and pizzazz when they showed off Betsey’s pieces. This line included bright colors, mixed patterns (floral with cheetah print or stripes), sequins, plaid, cropped jackets, layered

necklaces and dresses and bold prints. I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to sport most of the featured pieces, but if you want to make a statement at a party or event, then Betsey Johnson is your go-to designer.

Made in Detroit – the most recognized logo in Detroit fashion history, owned by Detroit’s favorite bad boy Kid Rock.

Made in Detroit wrapped up FID with a bang. Being that Kid Rock owns the label, the show kicked off with his famous head banger, “Bawitdaba”. The colors black, white and red dominated this line. There was a NASCAR theme going on with a lot of stripes, checkers and patches.

Both the men and women’s clothing were tight fitting. Accessories like suspenders, hats and belts were prominent with the outfits. I started getting bored by the same three dark colors, but things perked up at the end with a few hues of blue and cute denim dresses with black cinch belts.

Combined with the high-end fashion shows were a $5,000 donation to Danialle Karmanos’ Work it Out program and a FID Lifetime Achievement Award presented to designer Linda Dresner.

I briefly spoke with Karen Buscemi, StyleLine editor and FID executive committee member, who said that while they didn’t fill the 500 available seats, everyone viewed FID as a success. Regardless of the number of people who showed up, creating an event like this in Detroit is a success in itself.

Mark your calendars for March 2010 when FID returns to the D. It seems like FID is here to stay, and I couldn’t be happier.

Eat Your Heart Out During Detroit Restaurant Week

2009-09-25T22:53:00.013-04:00

Cities like New York, Chicago and LA are known for their upscale restaurants. The number of swanky restaurants in Detroit may not compare to these cities, but many high-end eateries have popped up downtown in the past few years. The economy has hit some of these restaurants hard and forced owners to come up with innovative ways to bring in customers - like Andiamo Italia offering buy one get one free entrees.

The Greater Downtown Districts (including Downtown, Midtown, New Center, Corktown and Eastern Market) and Paxahau Promotions Group decided to take things one step further by bringing a novel idea implemented in other cities to Detroit - Detroit Restaurant Week. From September 18 - 27 (hurry, only two more days!), the city's top dining establishments are offering a minimum three-course dinner for $27 (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity). Some may complain about that price and claim it's not a discount, but most single entrees alone at upscale restaurants cost more than $27.

Many of the newer restaurants downtown have been on my need-to-try list for awhile. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get a three-course meal for what in my mind is a decent price.

MAL and I decided on Wolfgang Puck Grille at MGM Grand Detroit. Overall, I thought the decor was exquisite, the servers were attentive and welcoming and the food was delicious. I was surprised how well the walls blocked the noise from the casino, so that was an added bonus.

Side note: The dim lights made the photos from my camera phone turn out fuzzier than normal.

For our first course, I chose a creamy mushroom soup, while MAL opted for butternut squash ravioli. Both were smaller portions (which seems to be the trend at most nicer restaurants), but this didn't take away from the quality of the food. We gave both the ravioli and soup two thumbs up.

I was a bit disappointed with my main course, but I have no one to blame but myself. MAL chose the salmon with potatoes and a mustard sauce, a savory and perfectly-portioned dish.

We ate salmon the previous night, and for some odd reason I tend to avoid chicken at restaurants, so I opted for the ribeye and potatoes. In my excitement for more food, I failed to read the menu well and didn't realize french fries accompanied my meal. But these were the best darn french fries I've had in LONG time. They were the perfect blend of salty and crunchy. The ribeye wasn't cooked as well as I had asked, but the blue cheese topping was such a tasty addition that I forgave the cook.

Dessert was our favorite course. The only option was a 12 layer cake, but we weren't complaining. You would think 12 layers of chocolate would be overkill, but the sugary sweetness was subdued. We were definitely full after the cake, but we didn't have that "I'm so stuffed I could spew" feeling.

I'm more than happy with our meal at Wolfgang Puck Grille. Rumor has it we're in for at least two more Detroit Restaurant Weeks next year. People have been tweeting up a storm about Detroit Restaurant Week, so I'm anxious to see if the participating restaurants saw a boost in customers and sales. I hope this tradition continues for years to come. Any program/event/conference that generates excitement about Detroit, brings people to the city and creates positive buzz in our community is a win for everyone.

Allow Me to Stand on My Soapbox for a Moment

2009-09-15T22:35:00.005-04:00

I'm not one to toot my own horn. Everyone loves praise and wants to hear that they're doing a good job, but public praise makes me uncomfortable. So please note, this post is not meant to put me on a pedestal. Rather it's to share something with those of you who I know tap into my blog, but aren't avid social media users, so you probably missed the "tweets" and Facebook posts.

I had the opportunity to write a guest post for The Detroit Free press about how metro Detroiters use social media to connect offline. I figured posting this on my blog was a more efficient way to share it than sending a massive amount of individual e-mails. This article is similar to my recent "We're All in This Together" post.

Some people think I'm crazy because I like to bebop around town after work and participate in many of the events that take place weekly in metro Detroit. The word "networking" is a bit old school, so I'd lean toward calling what I do relationship building. I've apologized to MAL on several occasions for coming home late, but he told me once that I always come home happy, and he'd never want to take that away from me. Yes, he rocks.

I hope you non-SM geeks find some value in my post! Thanks to Mark W. Smith for the opportunity to share my thoughts with the Freep community. It was a fun experience, and I hope to contribute more guest columns in the future.

Homeless Blogger's "Never-Give-Up" Attitude Leads to Elle Internship

2009-09-03T22:25:00.007-04:00

I came across an amazing story about 24-year-old Brianna Karp, whose blog about homelessness turned into an internship with the guide-to-all-things-fashion magazine, Elle.

This is also a story about love and hope. Brianna used Twitter to share her Homeless Tales blog posts, and this is how she found and fell in love with her trans-Atlantic boyfriend, Matt. Brianna's words gave hope to the homeless and showed the rest of the world that many homeless people are intelligent and skilled individuals who are faced with an unfortunate situation.

Check out this AP article to learn how the Elle internship plays into the story.

Brianna's ability to persevere amid tragedy is inspiring and admirable. She's on the path to success, whether or not Elle's editors give her a full-time position one day. This is just the first stepping stone.

We're All in This Together

2009-08-30T20:29:00.008-04:00

**Image from Learning 2XL

I'm a dreamer, but I'm also a realist. As much as I would love to, I can never change all the blight that exists in our world. It all comes down to the theory of quantity versus quality (this comes up all the time with my clients). You can put a little bit of effort into a lot of different things and nudge the needle ever so slightly in many areas. Or, you can start by putting all your efforts into one area, find others who are doing the same, and come together to make a tremendous impact. I realize this is a debatable topic, but I believe I have many more years of learning ahead of me before I'm ready to "conquer the world".

I never imagined three years ago when I chose to start my career in Detroit that I would meet so many people who shared my same goals and ambitions. I'm sure I sound like a broken record by now, but many creative and talented people live, work and play in metro Detroit. I definitely have social media to thank for connecting me to people whose paths may have never crossed with mine if it weren't for our common interest in the digital world. Many of us have bonded together, but I know there are others who for whatever reason aren't letting their voices be heard.

To tie this back to my original point, I've been investing a lot of my free time to help bring together metro Detroiters with similar aspirations. Communications and social media are very broad fields, so why not reel in all those who fall into these industries and connect them with each other? The purpose is to encourage the exchange of ideas, advice and sometimes even business. Now don't get me wrong - finding potential business prospects isn't the intention of this collaboration, but sometimes it just works out that way. By rallying together, we create new relationships and form new initiatives that continue to propel this region forward.

So what am I involved in? Tweetea and Social Media Club Detroit are the two biggies (these are Facebook links, so you have to log in to view the pages). I wrote about Tweetea before, but SMCD is a newly-formed group that has massive potential. I'm also working on growing a group that met earlier this summer to discuss how social media has impacted the world of communications. This may seem contradictory to the idea of "quality versus quantity" because I'm investing my energies into three separate initiatives. However, the overarching goal is the same for all three: Bring people together to make an impact in metro Detroit. By starting at the core, hopefully our successes and achievements will echo nationally and we'll gain more respect and credit for being a thriving community.

Here are a few other examples of some creative initiatives that focus on connecting people and/or highlighting the positive stories:

Erin Rose's Positive Detroit site
Dave Benjamin's and Larry Henry's Voices of Detroit podcast series
Detroit Startup Drinks
Motor City Connect

I know there are many more examples, but these are the ones that initially popped in my head. If you're part of a group that's working to advance our community or know of one, please add a comment with the details. I'm also interested to know if other cities/regions are making these same efforts, or are we more driven because we're fed up with all the negative attention Detroit gets?

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity one day to make a big splash on a larger scale. But for now, I'm keeping it simple and local. Each individual person in our community has potential, but together we're much more powerful. So, who's with me?

Hey You, Speedracer. Slow Down!

2009-08-23T19:15:00.007-04:00

I was working with one of our local TV stations Friday night on the Detroit Riverfront when I captured these awesome photos of a double rainbow. The evening started off pretty nice, but a storm blew in out of nowhere. There was rain for only 15 minutes before the sun peeked back out from behind the dark clouds, which is when the rainbows appeared. It literally happened before our eyes. We were watching the storm blow past us when all of a sudden the double rainbows emerged from the Detroit River.
Why am I sharing this? This was one of those "life's simple pleasures" moments. Our group of four marveled about how brilliant the colors were and how it's very rare to actually witness two rainbows form out of nowhere. We took a few photos and watched the rainbows as they faded away. Life slowed down for a few minutes while we took a breather to soak in the beauty. Then it was back to work.

There's something I've noticed lately. The busier I get and the more I fill my time away from work with other activities (whether they be for personal or professional benefits), the less time I take to appreciate the things happening around me. I've been making a concerted effort to not always zip through each day in order to avoid missing those precious moments.

There's something very serene about taking a few minutes to turn your brain off and quietly pay attention to your surroundings. You can do this anywhere - the cafeteria at your work, the grocery store or a park. You'll pick up on a ton of detail that normally goes unnoticed.

So here's the takeaway: Slow down every so often and take in your surroundings. I'm learning those sporadic moments of tranquility can do wonders for your mental health.

Happy Employees are Key to a Positive Customer Experience

2009-08-16T20:45:00.008-04:00

**Photo credit: Arkaynelnc

Companies can make a positive impact on consumers in a variety of ways, including giving back to the community and seeking feedback to create a more attractive/reliable product or service. Care to know what makes one of the biggest impacts on me? Happy, thoughtful and caring employees.

Two recent experiences have made me realize that employees who show one or more of the above three attributes can seriously make or break the way I view a company, and for that matter, whether or not I will continue to give my hard-earned cash to said company.

MAL and I recently decided to try out the Megabus service from Detroit to Chicago for the first time. I had received mostly good reviews from a quick poll I took on Twitter, but I still wasn't absolutely convinced that this was the best idea. To briefly summarize our experience, the bus was very tidy and it departed and arrived on time. But what I'll remember most from my first Megabus adventure is the driver, Jack. Jack made it a point to come on the intercom (his intercom commentary throughout the trip was nothing short of witty and entertaining!) and introduce himself before we took off. He also provided us with frequent updates on when we would stop and how far we were from Chicago. He even made a special stop at a rest area for the ladies because he realized the bathrooms at our lunch destination weren't accommodating for a large group of women sharing one restroom. This may seem less than impressive to some, but us women know how frustrating it can be to stand in a long bathroom line!

I watched Jack chat and take pictures with some of the riders during lunch, and I could immediately tell he was passionate about his job and went out of his way to provide more than a driving service. Jack significantly added to my all-around positive first experience with Megabus, and you can bet I'll use the service again.

My second experience, with Potbelly Sandwich Works in the Renaissance Center, is more of a recurring than one-time experience. When I choose to buy my lunch at work, I tend to be a creature of habit and opt to dine with Potbelly. The food is good and the options are diverse, but the happy and upbeat employees are the main reason I keep coming back. From the very first person who takes my order in line to the very last person at the cash register, chipper (and not annoyingly chipper in the least!) and smiling employees greet me. I keep waiting for the time I encounter a crabby employee who'd rather be doing anything other than taking orders and making sandwiches, but that's yet to happen. Positive and upbeat people are infectious, so I always look forward to having that slice of happiness injected into my day.

Now, I fully realize not all employees who work for these two companies are the same and may not hold the same standards as Jack and the Ren Cen workers. But regardless, their attitudes make me fonder of the companies they represent. When company leaders strategize on how to be successful, I hope they take a good look at the people they are choosing to represent them. I'm sure I'm not the only person in this world who values happy and considerate employees almost as much as the product/service itself. Check out Chris Brogan's "Warm the Mug" post about a thoughtful and considerate server at a Michigan PF Changs location.

I'm interested to know what other companies (local or national) have employees that have made a resounding impact on their customers. Please share!

Pay Homage to Your Favorite Viral Video with YouTube-inspired Shirt

2009-08-02T22:31:00.009-04:00

**Image obtained from Mashable

We all have our favorite "fall out of our chairs" laughing YouTube videos that we constantly watch and share with friends. Two stellar videos that stand out in my mind are "Charlie bit my finger - again!" and "Whistle Tips with Bub Rub".

So imagine my excitement when I learned these highly popular vids and others are the inspiration behind Shirts Taste Good, a company that designs and sells YouTube-inspired T-shirts. I first read about this startup from a post on Mashable, and I immediately shared the link on my Facebook page because I think it's an insanely creative idea that has massive potential for success. This is one of those "why the heck didn't I think of that?" ventures. I can think of about a dozen friends who would find it absolutely hysterical to get one of these shirts as a birthday or Christmas gift.

The prices are pretty reasonable, with new shirts released each week starting at $14.95 and the more popular ones at $17.95 (plus shipping).

My only gripe is the color selection. Each shirt only comes in one color right now, and while I love me some Bub Rub and Lil Sis, I'm not big on black T-shirts. Hopefully color variation is a next step in a Shirt Taste Good's business plan.

The company currently offers a pretty good selection of YouTube classics, but you can submit your favorite video for consideration if it didn't make the cut. Wonder what the "Leave Kwame Alone" shirt would look like? ;)

Creative People Possess Common Traits

2009-07-26T20:16:00.004-04:00

Writing is an enormous part of my job, and thankfully, it's an activity I love to do. Regardless of the amount of time I spend writing on a weekly basis, there's always room for improvement. Anyone and everyone who has a passion for writing (particularly if you're creating and sharing content online for a business purpose) should avidly read Copyblogger.

I wanted to share this recent post about writing and creativity, Do You Have These 11 Traits of Highly Creative People? because it's perfect for anyone who's recently hit a creative roadblock or wants to add some zest to their writing. The author elaborates more on the 11 traits of highly creative people, but here's the brief version:

Highly creative people:

Have the courage to try new things and risk failure.
Use intuition and logic to make decisions and produce ideas.
Like to play, since humor and fun are the ultimate creative act.
Are expressive and willing to share what they feel and think to be themselves.
Can find order in confusion and discover hidden meaning in information.
Are motivated by task rather than by external rewards.
Have a need to find solutions to challenging problems.
Will challenge assumptions and ask hard questions to discover what is real.
Can make connections between old ideas to produce new insights.
Will push the envelope in order to expand the boundaries of what is possible.
Are willing to test new ideas and compete with others based on results.

The author admits most people don't naturally possess these traits, but they aren't difficult to attain. So here's the timeline: Act creative, become creative, success will follow. I'm sure the length of each stage varies from person to person, but I truly believe that creativity is the key to not only a successful career, but also to a more happy and productive life.

Rediscovering Books

2009-07-17T17:48:00.009-04:00

I have a confession. I just made my very first Amazon purchase this week. No, I haven't been living in a dark hole, and yes, I've been very aware of Amazon for quite some time now. My justification is that I prefer to make purchases in person. I like to see things for myself before I shell out money - particularly clothes and shoes.

I made up my mind last week that my next purchase must be a book. I spend WAY too much time staring at the computer and need to get back to basics by reading more books. For whatever reason, I'm healthier mentally and am a much happier person when I can look forward to coming home to a good book. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally make an Amazon purchase because you really can't go wrong buying books online.

So what books did I buy? One might quickly assume that I bought a sappy love story (I do love a good Nicholas Sparks book!) or a book in Spanish (that's next on the list). Those were tempting options, but I went with two books that are highly recommended in the PR industry - Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff and Putting the Public Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge.

I love reading about my industry because it's fascinating how much has changed in three years since I graduated from college, but I'm looking for book suggestions that don't relate to PR. Drop me a line or leave a comment with any recommendations. Just no history or sci-fi please. :)

Handmade Note Cards from the Heart

2009-07-07T22:26:00.005-04:00

We all possess talents and characteristics that make us unique, but many people (myself included) wish they were better at something. I've always wanted to be more artistic. Art class in high school was the class I dreaded the most because I can't draw, sketch, paint, or sculpt for the life of me. No matter how much I try to convince myself that I can learn to scrapbook or create cute little handmade gifts for friends and family, I know deep down it's not going to happen!

On that note, let me introduce you to my very talented and creative friend Lindsay (aka Herban Girl) who I just learned has some amazingly artistic skills. Lindsay recently seized the opportunity to open the virtual doors on her online shop, songbird notes, where she's selling handmade note cards. Her shop is hosted through Etsy, which is pretty much the coolest place to buy products directly from independent designers and artists. Lindsay's cards are unique because many of her designs feature a Japanese influence (she relocated to Japan with her husband for a few years).

I admire Lindsay for capitalizing on her talent and taking the initiative to share her passion and creativity with the world. I know what my next purchase will be...:)

One Person Can Make a Big Difference

2009-06-19T17:18:00.008-04:00

I love reading Alan Baker's Web World columns in the Crain's Detroit daily e-newsletter because he provides a good mix of interesting insight and humor. I want to share Alan's recent column about a local man who went out of his way to do something good. It's very touching, and it's one of those stories that tends to get overlooked all too often.

Alan had previously wrote about a monument that sits on a hill next to the Crain Communications building. A plaque on the side of the monument was totally covered in graffiti. He more recently wrote that he could no longer see the graffiti because the overgrown grass was hiding it, and he called out MDOT for lack of care. Some wise person at MDOT did a good job of listening to the convos going on about their company on the Web, and MDOT took care of the grass the same day Alan filed the story. However, the crew left a tree-like weed behind the monument.

Alan planned to write a column acknowledging the mowing (but still calling out the weed that remained) the next day, but somebody had removed the graffiti and weed. Alan had received an e-mail from Chris Peraino, property manager for Hospice of Michigan, saying the situation had been taken care of. Chris read Alan's column and decided to take it upon himself to remove what the MDOT crew had left behind. This is a man with some serious motivation and love for Detroit! How many people do you know who would do something like that?

Check out Alan's entire column here. It's not every day that we read about people in our community as gracious as Chris, so he deserves major credit. We should all follow suit and take it upon ourselves to make a difference, rather than sitting back and waiting for someone else to.

Collaborate with Metro Detroit's Creatives at Tweetea

2009-06-02T20:16:00.014-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if people buy it that I truly believe Michigan is brimming with creative talent. I'm constantly saying people in Michigan have so much to offer and are doing amazing things, but the many dark clouds hanging above us (i.e., all the bad things happening in our state) frequently overshadow all the positive news.

If anyone living here, specifically in metro Detroit, doubts that we're a talented bunch, then I challenge to them to come to the next Tweetea event. They undoubtedly will be proven wrong.

My previous American Idol blogging gig for The Detroit News prevented me from attending these weekly Tuesday night events, but I finally made it to my first one this week. The Tweetea attendees traditionally meet at Goldfish Tea in Royal Oak. Whether or not you're a tea aficionado, the uber-cool, Chinese-inspired decor and friendly staff are reason enough to check out Goldfish Tea.

Hubert Sawyers (@HubertGAM) is the brains behind Tweetea. He organized the first meeting last winter and envisioned it as a way to simply meet people. Hubert is a big stickler on health and wellness and has a passion for tea, so hosting the Tweeteas at Goldfish Tea made perfect sense. He started pushing the word out about these events by creating the #tweetea hashtag on Twitter (you can also follow @Tweetroit on Twitter for the latest Tweetea updates). To his surprise, 15 people showed up to the first Tweetea, and the weekly attendee numbers have been steadily increasing ever since.

Hubert makes this very clear: Tweetea is more than a business networking event. The point is to take something away from the event that you can then share with others. Something educational - not just a stack of business cards that will potentially collect dust on your desk or in your Rolodex. The intention is to meet people and build friendships. Then in time, those friendships may develop into a business relationship. And if that doesn't happen, who cares? You've gained a few good friends in the process.

The Tweetea attendees aim to pick a different discussion topic each week. Hubert credits this idea largely to Dave Murr (@DaveMurr). It's gone over well so far. We initially planned to talk about video blogging (or vlogging for you more techie people) at the Tweetea this week because Hubert's in the market for a new camera, but the discussion topics ended up focusing more on how the fall of the Big 3 is affecting our region and the role social media plays in our world today. Here's a breakdown of some of our discussions:

Social media is not a natural extension of PR.
Many companies are jumping on the social media bandwagon without first creating a strategy, which is threatening to ruin social media's credibility for the rest of us that are using it wisely.
Facebook cause pages are effective in raising money if used correctly.
The nonprofit industry will benefit most from social media in the future because it's all about advocating, not advertising.
Corporations would do a lot more in sales if they kept their employees happy.
We need to find the next generation of corporations/brands that are using social media in the right way for new case studies.
Detroit gets so much negative press, but only people who live here truly understand that we have an active core of advocates in southeast MI.

The knowledge I gained in the few short hours at Tweetea is invaluable. It's also incredible how much you can learn about someone during one conversation. Who would have thought that Adrian Pittman (@adrianittman) has a devious plan to overthrow Detroit City Council? ;) All humor aside, Tweetea gave me the opportunity to get inside the heads of some of metro Detroit's most talented residents. Here's a complete list of everyone who attended this week:

@HubertGAM

@3sixteenweb
@tinawebanalytic
@DaveMurr
@jennimurr
@michaelstuertz
@adrianpittman
@khalidh
@montilee

Have I said enough to convince you to attend Tweetea? If you decide to come, what topics would you be most interested in discussing with the group?

Positive People Help Turn a Bad Week Good

2009-05-31T20:05:00.007-04:00

It's been a rough week. Someone very close to me fears he may be losing his job soon, and one of my very best friends of 20 years is seriously ill. While I'm doing my best to remain strong for them, I'm also struggling to cope with my own insecurities and pain caused by a tragic event that forever changed my life four months ago today.

Just like the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, go make lemonade. I learned a long time ago that to get through trying times, it's important to focus on all the good things and positive people in your life. So, that's what I've been striving to do this past week. My mental anguish knocked me down a bit, but a few people helped bring me back up.

I've wrote before about some of the amazing people I've met through my client,

The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County . Another one of those incredible people is Tim Schroeder. I first learned about Tim through an article he wrote in TSA-WC's newsletter. Tim made a very powerful impact on me during our phone calls and e-mail exchanges, but finally hearing him tell his story in person last week was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits.

For many years, Tim dealt with numerous addictions that eventually landed him in jail facing three life sentences. He fought hard to leave his previous life behind and is now leading a program at TSA-WC and the Livingston County jail to help others who have been overtaken by addictions. He also recently found love again and remarried his wife who he divorced about 10 years ago. You can read all about Tim here. Tim's inspirational story helped remind me that when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. I soaked up a bit of Tim's happiness the day I listened to his story and used it to get me through this difficult week.

The other uplifting part of my week occurred over wine and sushi. The combination of two of my favorite dining choices was made even better by the people I was sharing it with - my best bud and colleague, Lauren, and Stephanie Casola, someone who I previously only connected with through e-mail and Twitter. Laughing, eating and sharing stories with Lauren and Stephanie helped me forget about the bad things that had been dragging me down all week.

I can always count on Lauren to brighten my mood because she's one of the most positive people I know, and I quickly learned that Stephanie was exactly the same. Stephanie was one of my favorites journalists to work with back when she was with The Observer & Eccentric, but she did a complete 180 and is now working at a local public relations firm. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose my job, let alone dive head first into a completely new career immediately after losing that job. My coworker, Andrea Westfall (another person who constantly brings a smile to my face), did exactly the same thing. I admire Stephanie and Andrea for being brave enough to try a new career and for succeeding after such a short amount of time in their new roles. Their positive attitudes and upbeat personalities are infectious, even more so during this past week.

A new week lies ahead, and I'm going into it with high expectations. Life throws everyone curve balls now and then, so I know I'm not alone. Whether they realized it or not, the above mentioned people played a big part in helping me to bury my blue mood.

Anyone reading this who has a story to share about someone who recently inspired them or injected them with a much-needed dose of positivity, please share :)

The Dash

2009-05-17T14:11:00.003-04:00

I recently attended a PRSA Detroit event where the speaker, Denise Ann Taylor, read aloud one of my favorite poems - "The Dash." It's a very clever poem and is a great reminder that what matters most is how you choose to spend the years between your birth and death. It really makes you think!

The Dash

By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what's true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read

With your life's actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Know of any other great poems that really help put things into perspective? Please share!

One Last Wish for Happiness

2009-04-21T21:49:00.006-04:00

Forewarning: This is one of those "make you choke up" stories.

My agency's president sent us all an e-mail the other day about an 11-year-old boy named Adrian Gerber from Caro, Mich. who is terminally ill with leukemia. A member of her church works with pediatric cancer patients like Adrian and passed along word that Adrian's illness took a turn for the worse and he was asking for one small thing - greeting cards. Greeting cards make him very happy, and his one last wish was to receive cards from the community. So with heavy hearts, we each took a card, drew a colorful picture and wrote a happy message to brighten up Adrian's day.

The person who wrote the e-mail described Adrian as an amazing young man and the most caring 11-year-old that he has ever met. He's one of those kids who cares more about cheering up other kids who are battling cancer than he does about his own illness. Adrian finds joy in making others happy, so he absolutely deserves nothing more than happiness during his last few weeks on earth.

Here's a touching article from the Tuscola County Advertiser about this courageous boy.

Hearing Adrian's story and learning about the simplicity of his last wish really put things into perspective. So many people think happiness equates to tangible items like money or flashy purchases. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic when I save a lot of money from my paycheck or when I buy something new that I've wanted for a long time. But when all is said and done, are those things really the meaning of happiness? I think not. Adrian got it right - doing something to create happiness in someone else's life is the best way to bring happiness into your own. A part of me felt absolutely miserable for this boy and his family to know that his life will soon be tragically cut short. But an even bigger part of me felt proud and happy to know that I played a part in making Adrian's last wish come true.

Whenever you're feeling down, do something to help someone else out. It's the ultimate pick-me-up.

Creative Quips from Module '09 Midwest Digital Conference

2009-04-12T20:50:00.007-04:00

Two really cool events took place this week that unfortunately I wasn't able to attend. These things called work and clients got in the way (so kidding, I thank my lucky stars every day that the economy has not affected my job).

Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) was in town for the Module '09 Midwest Digital Conference, so he put the word out on Twitter for a last minute Tweetup in Royal Oak. My PR buddy Brandon Chesnutt(@bchesnutt) gives a good overview of the Tweetup for those of us who had to miss out.

I was able to catch a few of the tweets from the Module '09 conference this past week, but my crazy day didn't allow for much Twitter time. It seems the conference was a smashing success, so a huge congrats to you @adrianpittman!! I looked through some of the Module tweets using Twitter Search and found a ton of really creative and thought-provoking quotes from the presenters. Here are a few:

@charliecurve - Facebook reconnects your past. LinkedIn and blogs connect your present. Twitter connects your future.

@hajjflemings - Creating content is not hard. Making content that matters is what takes time and commitment.

@penguin - Social media doesn't make you awesome, it just exposes what you already are.

@chrisbrogan - I believe it was Vanilla Ice who said, "Stop, collaborate and listen."

@chrisbrogan - PR is immediate. Think "nano-time". It's all about the velocity.

@shannonpaul - Don't focus on selling - make it easier to buy.

@shannonpaul - Surprise people with things that are yummy and awesome (love this one!)

@ozsultan - Instead of ROI, think ROBI - Return on Brand Investment.

@scottmonty - Social media is not a campaign, it's a commitment.

For more on Module '09, check out @terrybean's 7 takeaways from the conference.

If you attended Module '09 and have some words of wisdom to share, please share with the rest of us and leave a comment :)

My Startup Weekend Detroit Experience

2009-04-12T18:33:00.007-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the very first Startup Weekend Detroit at Compuware's headquarters in Detroit. The concept of Startup Weekend is very simple: A group of highly-motivated creative types (ranging from Web developers and entrepreneurs to graphics artists and marketing/PR professionals like myself) get together for a weekend to launch businesses. Andrew Hyde founded the idea of Startup Weekend in 2007. Learn more about Startup Weekend at its Web site.

I have to give a HUGE shout out to Shannon Pau l and Jeremy Tanner for all they did to bring Startup Weekend to Detroit and to keep everything running smoothly those three days!

I'm not at the point in my life where I'm interested in starting a business, but I figured those who are need help with branding and marketing their business. That's why I decided to check out Startup Weekend and help out where I could from a PR and marketing perspective.

After devouring coney dogs, fries and salad from American Coney Island Friday night, many attendees got up in front of the crowd to pitch their business ideas. We voted on the ones we thought were the most interesting and then divided into teams to see how far we could get in the business development stage come Sunday. It was hard to pick a team because many initial business pitches were really interesting, but I ended up working with

Brandon Chesnutt and Hajj Flemings to help develop their idea - Pitchlab.

Essentially, Pitchlab is a social networking site that allows people to perfect their elevator pitch (the short, concise pitch you give to sell yourself or your business). It combines elements of LinkedIn and YouTube, so people can upload videos of their elevator pitch and viewers can rate and comment on the pitch.

We made tremendous progress by the end of the weekend. Our group was really dynamic because our members had a wide range of skills, so we were all able to work on different aspects of developing the business. Here's a list of my Pitchlab team members and their Twitter names:

Hajj Flemings - @hajjflemings

Brandon Chesnutt - @bchesnutt

Billy Strawter - @3sixteenweb

Brandon Joerges - @brandonwj

Henry Balanon - @balanon

Jason Raznick - @jasonraznick

Keun Lee - @keunlee

David Damore - @admore

Todd List - @tjlist

Dave Benjamin - @davebenjamin

Here's a quick video that Curve Detroit's Charlie Wollborg shot of Brandon and I talking about our business idea (this is back when we were going to call it Rate My Pitch).

Startup Insights: Birth of a Brand? from Charlie Wollborg on Vimeo.

Also check out our group's Twitter page and YouTube channel. If you REALLY want to get a glimpse of Startup Weekend Detroit, take a look at all the tweets.

I learned a lot and had a great time, but above all I met some AMAZING people and continued building relationships with people I previously met. Yes it was a long weekend and yes I was exhausted on Sunday, but it was absolutely worth it. We use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to network and establish relationships, but I've learned those relationships are truly solidified once you meet in person.

I wish Brandon and Hajj the best of luck with getting Pitchlab up and running!

Local Diner Gets Creative & Lets Patrons Name Their Price

2009-03-24T21:06:00.009-04:00

Times are tough all across the country, but particularly in Detroit. Some choose to focus on the negativity and dwell on all the bad things happening in Detroit and its surrounding suburbs. Others (the smarter ones in my opinion) refuse to sulk in their sorrows and instead figure out a way to counteract the Detroit doldrums.

Many local companies and restaurants are heavily discounting prices in order to attract customers. Some are encouraging consumers to spend their money at Michigan-based establishments in hopes of boosting the local economy. Still others are attempting to raise the spirits of metro Detroit residents by coming up with wildly creative ideas like the 240-hour "Assembly Line" show at AJ's Music Cafe in Ferndale.

One local blink-and-you'll-miss-it diner grabs the top prize in creativity when it comes to easing the burden of these rough times. Now through March 27 from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., the Whistle Stop Restaurant and Bakery in Birmingham is letting patrons name their price for dinner. Risky? Absolutely! But worth testing the waters? Definitely yes in my opinion. Plus, this promotion has garnered the Whistle Stop a heap of media exposure (with the help of a local PR pro of course). So if nothing else, it's helped create awareness of this establishment and that owner Matt Rafferty truly cares about helping those affected by the economy.

I really admire Matt's faith in metro Detroit citizens and his willingness to put his business on the line for five days, so MAL and I headed over to this quaint little joint for dinner tonight. It was small with a very welcoming atmosphere. Good Morning America once named the Whistle Stop as America's Best Diner, so we knew it HAD to be good!

While we were waiting for a seat, the couple ahead of us asked Matt how the promotion was going. It didn't sound like the promotion was going as well as Matt had hoped, especially when he referred to haughty men in their snazzy business suits who left nothing more than $1 for their meal. But, he knew it was a risk and noted that "it's been interesting so far."

As evidenced by the photo above, MAL and I decided to go the breakfast-for-dinner route, and we were more than satisfied by the generous portions and delicious food. The price was extremely reasonable and actually a bit less than what I would have expected. I liked that our server gave us our bill so we could see what the entire meal actually would cost us on a normal occasion. We paid a bit more than the actual price, but we are also both employed. While I don't expect everyone to pay above and beyond, I am embarrassed for anyone who dares to step foot in that establishment and leave a petty dollar for those hard-working employees.

A huge pat on the back goes out to the entire Whistle Stop team for coming up with a not-so-traditional way to give back to the community!

Kalamazoo Gazette Reporter Shows Love for Motown

2009-03-09T21:44:00.004-04:00

It's such a breath of fresh air to read an article that sheds some positive light on Detroit. Every time I do, I make sure to share it with as many people as possible because we're all drowning in a sea of negativity on a daily basis. Jeff Barr from the Kalamazoo Gazette shows some love for Detroit in his recent article about a Motown weekend getaway. In one article, Jeff sums up the message various organizations in southeast Michigan are trying to get across to the rest of the world, and sadly the majority of Michigan: Detroit truly has a lot to offer.

Jeff and his wife drove the two hours east from the K-zoo to Detroit - the "big-time city that often gets a big-time bad rap." The couple discovered just how fun and exciting Detroit can be, and I thank Jeff for putting his weekend into words to share this experience with the many skeptics. Jeff highlights a variety of Detroit locations, including the Ren Cen Marriott, 42 Degrees North and Volt in the Ren Cen, the Fox Theater and of course, American Coney Island.

The entire weekend Jeff and his wife were in Detroit, they encountered not one of Detroit's typical stereotypes (you know, drug deals on every street corner and the constant ear-splitting sound of gun shots). They simply had a great vacation that didn't require the typical expenditures or travel hassle that accompanies many trips.

Take a few minutes to read the entire article. We all need a reminder that there are many reasons why we choose to live, work and play in Detroit.

If You've Conquered Dating, You Can Take on Media Relations

2009-03-09T21:03:00.008-04:00

**Photo obtained from www.solicitr.com

I'm a huge PR nerd and I look forward to reading PRSA's pubs each month - Tactics and The Strategist. One of the most clever and creative articles in this issue is titled "Sweaty palms and rejection: How media relations is similar to dating." Catchy, right? The editor is Rob Lynch, a freelance PR consultant, and he does an excellent job of revealing the many similarities between dating and the world of social media. Here's a quick recap of the article:

Similar to calling someone you like to ask them on a date, calling the media induces sweat and elevates your heart rate.
Most reporters want a monogamous relationship, or the exclusive. But some media relations pros want to disseminate news to a variety of reporters, or "date around." This often strains the relationship with the monogamous reporter - or even kills it entirely.
Reporters can up and leave with no forewarning, even if you have a great relationship.
Uninterested reporters will not respond to your e-mails or calls, regardless of how many times you contact them.
Some of the tactics used in dating also apply to media relations, such as using a common interest as a conversation starter.
Just as the same pickup line doesn't work on every person, the same pitch won't fly with every reporter.

And lastly, the one that holds the most value in my book of PR golden rules:

One-time story placement may provide instant gratification, but true relationships with reporters are often built over time and require honest and constant communication. That type of relationship is mutually beneficial.

Chile is That Long, Skinny Country, Right?

2009-03-01T19:59:00.007-05:00

**A few cities I visited while in Chile. Top, Mt. Villarrica in the city of Pucon. Bottom, the colorful houses in the city of Castro.

One of my favorite life experiences was studying abroad in Valdivia, Chile and living with an amazing family for almost five months. I absolutely loved Chile and treasure the memories I created in those few short months.

You wouldn't believe the reactions I got from people when I first delivered the news that I chose Chile as my study abroad destination. The responses ranged from "Isn't Chile a huge jungle?" to "Isn't Chile full of drug traffickers?" I realized how little we Americans know about this skinny coastal country. I hardly knew anything about Chile until I immersed myself in the culture.

So imagine my surprise and excitement when I saw an entire article dedicated to exploring Chile smack dab on the front page of the Detroit Free Press travel section today. I have to give HUGE props to Ellen Creager for writing this amazing article and giving people a glimpse into what Chile is all about. The Freep only keeps articles posted for 14 days before they are archived, so although the article is lengthy, I am posting it here to preserve it! Trust me, it's well worth the read.

Explore Chile's well-run cities and remote past

2,600 miles of contrasts

Story and Photos by ELLEN CREAGER

FREE PRESS TRAVEL WRITER

"And it was at that age...Poetry arrived

in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where

it came from, from winter or a river."

-- Chilean poet Pablo Neruda

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Name one thing you know about Chile.

Tango? That's Argentina.

Tortillas? Not here.

Carnival? Try Brazil.

Think. Think of a long, skinny South American country in the shape of a backward "J" hemmed in between the Andes and the blue Pacific. The one where a poet named Neruda and a dictator named Pinochet lived. The one where wine comes from, the one with alpacas in the north, with penguins in the south, with deserts, forests, beaches, mountains and a middle-class standard of living, yet which remains a 2,600-mile ribbon of mystery, often even to its citizens.

Si. Yes. You've got it now.

"People come here expecting to see something primitive," says Felipe Moreno, a Santiago painter and musician. "They're very surprised."

Chile has one of Latin America's most stable democracies, its highest GDP per capita, safe streets and a reputation as one of the least corrupt nations in the world -- an amazing feat, considering its past of dictatorship and coups.

Its tourist infrastructure is very good, especially in the central valley and coast, where 80% of the population lives.

Yet even experienced American tourists who have visited Brazil, Columbia, Peru or Argentina usually miss Chile, a 9-hour plane ride from Dallas or Miami. The dilemma for travelers? In Chile, distances are so vast there is no way to see everything in one trip.

The best one can hope for is to choose two drastically contrasting areas of the nation -- for instance, Arica, a small port town in far northern Chile; and Santiago/Valparaiso, big cities in the center -- and hope to get a larger feel for the place.

Even then, Chile has a way of slipping out of your grasp. Like winter or a river.

Soul of Santiago

To me, Santiago seems a solemn grownup. Skyscrapers loom over its 6 million scurrying citizens. Snowy peaks of the Andes loom vaguely in the distance behind a wafting veil of haze. Santiago has a haughty European atmosphere and an excellent metro system -- signaling an orderly lifestyle minus the wild eccentricities of other South American capitals.

But all is not as it appears. Santiago has a passionate past.

Visit the La Moneda presidential palace on Santiago's main plaza, and see the spot where, on Sept. 11, 1973, elected socialist President Salvador Allende, power stripped by a coup and trapped in the palace, broadcast a radio announcement to the nation then took his own life as jet bombers soared overhead.

That started the iron rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, dictator from 1973 to 1988.

Since then, four democratically elected presidents (the current one is Michelle Bachelet) have brought Chile into modern democracy.

Now, a statue of Allende stands near the palace. Friendly ceremonial palace guards in elaborate uniforms of creamy white pose with the tourists. Yesterday's tears are today's stepping stones. Yesterday's passion is today's calm.

Santiago also is party defined by one of its most famous citizens, Pablo Neruda, the lyrical poet, who died in 1973.

Never one of those poor, struggling poet types, Neruda loved the finer things in life, including women (he was married three times), nice digs (he had multiple houses in Chile), and traveling (he was a diplomat, sometimes in exile).

Track down his home in the restaurant-rich Bella Vista artists section of Santiago, and you will be delighted. Neruda's love nest, La Chascona, is a bright blue, funky abode with curved windows and one of his most famous love poems engraved on six pillars in front. The poem is "I Ask for Silence" ("and inside me I am dark: like a well whose water/night drops stars into/then moves on alone through the field").

As was said about Hemingway, Neruda didn't use many words -- he just used the right ones.

"We have many things in front of us, but only a few people can see deeper than that," says Moreno.

Water and wine

Sixty miles west, Chile's second largest city, Valparaiso, is the refreshingly goofy sister to Santiago. Houses are a hodgepodge of bright blue, yellow and pink, roofed with shipping container metal and painted with nautical paint. They perch on the hillsides of the port city on the Pacific founded by the Spanish in 1536.

Valparaiso's claim to fame? Its creaky yet efficient funicular lift system, which transports citizens up steep hillsides.

Try one, and you'll see the ground through the floorboards, which don't quite meet.

Think of it as a metaphor for this slapdash port city.

Neruda also had a house in Valparaiso. The quirky four-story house, called La Samana, is topped by Neruda's writing study, which is paneled with bookshelves on two walls, has a giant photograph of Walt Whitman on the third and huge windows on the fourth. The panoramic view of the crescent-shaped Valparaiso harbor is enough to start anyone spouting poetry.

Immediately north of Valparaiso? The town of Vina del Mar, the spoiled baby of the family. Rich Chileans vacation on its beaches.

Between Santiago and Valparaiso you will drive through the Casablanca Valley, one of Chile's most trendy vineyard regions for white wine. As in California, you can do winery tours here -- but the cheapest prices for wine still seem to be in the grocery store in Santiago -- $2 - $4.

Exotic Arica

If you see only Santiago and the central coast of Chile, it's like seeing New York and thinking you know everything about the United States.

One spot to get out and see Chile's amazing geographical range is Arica and the nation's far north. Home to salt lakes and flamingos, llama and alpacas, mountains that soar to a literally breathtaking 15,000 feet and the world's oldest mummies, it's far different from the big cities.

First cool thing: Just outside Arica in the Azapa Valley is a small museum that contains the 8,000-year-old Cinchorro Mummies. Boy, do they look their age. Lying beneath glass in the Museo Arqueologico, there are three of them, appearing to be dad, mom and baby (although that's just imagination; nobody knows who they were). Their arms and legs stick out like sticks of brown clay. Their faces are covered with masks. Shreds of linen strips wrap around their bodies. Remember, they're 2,000 years older than the oldest-known Egyptian mummies.

Often called the driest place on Earth, the desert around Arica preserved these ancient remains, along with other prehistoric weavings, pottery, petroglyphs and more.

Second cool thing: Arica has a church designed by Gustav Eiffel -- yes, the designer of the Eiffel Tower.

He designed a church made of iron parts, which was shipped in pieces to Arica and constructed in 1876. While the exterior of the Church of San Marcos is cutely painted white and brown, the interior shows the flair that Eiffel had -- the graceful iron buttresses elegant and slim, the proportions, the charm.

At this far northern end of Chile, too, you can see wonderful olive farms and a bounty of vegetables and fruits in the market. Many people here are from Peru or Bolivia -- and, in fact, this was part of Peru until Chile won it in a war in 1876.

So spend some time here. Slowly, the picture of Chile fills in. Go 1,000 miles south to the lakes district or 2,500 miles south to the Chilean Patagonia with its penguins and fjords. If you have another year or two, you might start to understand this country in its totality. Or maybe not. Chile still feels like the end of the world, the kind of place where a clever poet might hang his feet over the edge and dangle his toes in unspoken words.

Additional Facts

5 cool things about Chile

1. Besides wine, Chile has two intriguing beverages. Try Mote con Huesillo -- a popular summer nonalcoholic drink made with wheat, peaches and sugar water. Or try the national drink, the Pisco Sour, made with the local brandy, lime and egg white.

2. Divorce finally became legal in 2004 in heavily Catholic Chile.

3. Most beaches are too cold for swimming. The Humboldt Current, a stream of water from Antarctica, rushes up the coast to northern Chile before veering off to the west. People mostly just sit on the beaches, even on the hottest day.

4. The blue stone lapis lazuli is mined in only two countries in the world -- Chile and Afghanistan. If you love lapis jewelry, Chile is the place to get it.

5. You almost never hear Chileans call the Andes "the Andes." They just call the longest mountain range in the world "the cordillera" -- meaning mountains by the coast, or "little cord" in Spanish.

Michigan in Pictures

2009-03-01T19:41:00.005-05:00

**Photo obtained from History.com

My very Web-savvy and native Michigander Aunt Lynette (who currently soaks up the sun in Florida) introduced me to this awesome photo blog, Michigan in Pictures.

It's produced by the same guys who created Absolute Michigan. The purpose of the photo blog is "to showcase the state of Michigan through visual means." I've only been following this blog for about a week now, but I can already sense that the photographers seek to capture the unique and untold stories of Michigan. Many people don't have the first clue about how naturally beautiful Michigan is, so it's up to us natives to spread the word through visual blogs such as Michigan in Pictures. I'm not one to talk about not truly knowing the beauty of Michigan because I've yet to travel north of Petoskey. No worries, a trip to northern Michigan and the UP is at the top of mine and MAL's agenda this summer - now that we don't have to worry about five summer weddings like last year!

So check out the blog and give a shout out to these creative and talented photographers.

Kid Rock Gets Creative With Launch of New Craft Beer

2009-02-18T22:21:00.005-05:00

**photo obtained from NBA.com

Cheers to you, Kid Rock! Way to take our poor economic situation into your own hands by coming up with a creative way to pump some life into the mitten state. Most celebrities create a clothing line, jewelry or perfume. But not Kid Rock. He's staying true to his nitty-gritty roots and creating a line of his own beer, with the help of the Michigan Brewing Co.

According to this Detroit Free Press article, Bobby Ritchie is calling all the shots regarding the name, design and pricing of the beer. But the best news of all is the creation of almost 400 new jobs in Michigan. Governor Granholm should be thrilled to hear that!

The Kid Rock branded beer is expected to hit shelves this spring. MAL has high hopes that Kid will introduce his new beer at his favorite bar, the Clarkston Union. We shall see...

Photos from Europe

2009-02-18T22:02:00.006-05:00

I've been promising London and Barcelona photos to everyone, so I thought sharing them on my blog would be the best. I realize not everyone uses Facebook, but you can access my photos from Facebook here:

London

Barcelona #1

Barcelona #2

In a nutshell, this was the most amazing trip!!! The trip was a blessing because it couldn't have come at a better time. I really loved London, but Barcelona stole my heart (mainly because I was able to speak Spanish for three days!). There's something about the Spanish culture that draws me in and forces me to be happy. It's impossible to be sad when you're admiring mind-blowing architecture like Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia.

I absolutely loved the trip, though it sure feels good to be back in the D. Traveling is fun, but I'm happy to return back to a routine. Thanks for taking the time to check out my pics!

There's Always a Rainbow After the Storm

2009-02-04T22:51:00.005-05:00

In one of the stars
I shall be living
In one of them
I shall be laughing
And so it will be
as if all the stars
were laughing
when you look
at the sky at night

~ The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The above poem is written on a card I received from one of my best friends, Danielle. I was so touched by the words, and the fact that the card is about stars because everyone knows I'm obsessed with them!

To say I've had a difficult week does not even come close to summing up the tragedy that struck my family this past Saturday. I know I'm a strong person, but everyone's strength is put to test at some point, so I guess it was my turn. But, there's a silver lining in every storm cloud. My silver lining is friendship.

I've always felt that I have the greatest friends a person could ask for, and those feelings were confirmed this week. I cannot even begin to explain how grateful I am to everyone who called, e-mailed, sent a text, card, Facebook message, etc. to see how I was doing and to remind me that I don't have to deal with this alone. I'm a crazy combination of sad, frustrated, angry and numb...yet I'm happy at the same time. I'm happy because I know I have an amazing group of friends from all across the country who are refusing to let me fall.

To me, the word friend is synonymous with family. So thanks to each and every one of you for being a part of my family and for reminding me that life has to go on.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is the title of this post: "There's always a rainbow after the storm." Starting tomorrow at 6:05 p.m., I'll be on my way to Europe...first London, then Barcelona to be exact. This trip is a blessing in disguise and couldn't have come at a more appropriate time, so I'd like to think this is the rainbow after the storm. I have to thank everyone again for not allowing me to cancel this trip.

Like good friends always do, everyone keeps asking what they can do to help. So here's my assignment for you while I'm gone....

Please continue to keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.

7 Random Things About Me

2009-01-24T22:19:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Leah McChesney (who I was very happy to meet at the HUGE Novi Tweetup this past week) for tagging me in her 7 Random Things post. I actually did a 6 Random Things post awhile back, so I really had to think hard about this one because frankly...I'm not that random! I cheated and asked MAL for some help with this, but here are 7 random things not mentioned in my previous post:

1. My pinkie fingers and baby toe on my right foot are quite unique. The tops of my pinkie fingers curve inward. Basically, they are obviously crooked. It's really funny when people notice them for the first time. They always assume I broke my pinkie fingers, but I was told this happened because I curled my fingers a lot when I was in the womb. Who knows? My baby toe on my right foot is double jointed, so I can stick it out far away from the rest of my toes. Talented, I know.

2. I haven't seen many of the classic movies (It's a Wonderful Life, Sixteen Candles, The Godfather, Top Gun, Goonies...the list goes on). There's no good explanation for this. I love watching movies, but never got around to these ones for some reason.

3. I beat out a bunch of kids to win my school's Spelling Bee in 5th grade. I also came in second place in the District Spelling Bee competition. I swear I wasn't a nerd in school...just a good speller :)

4. I'm obsessed with English bulldogs. I think they are cutest darn pups on the face of this planet. I begged MAL to get one until I learned about their health problems and short lives. That doesn't change my obsession, but I'm thinking twice about getting one now.

5. I have really straight teeth, but I've never had braces.

6. I'm right-handed, but I hold a golf club and hockey stick as if I were left-handed. My brother is the exact same way. It makes absolutely no sense.

7. I climbed a volcano when I studied abroad in Chile. My group and I couldn't make it to the top because it was too windy, but it was just about the coolest thing I've ever done.

Brandon Chesnutt, Jeff Maj and Megs Tuss -- TAG YOU'RE IT! :)

My Love For American Idol Runs Deep

2009-01-20T17:30:00.010-05:00

*Photo obtained from The Detroit News Web site

I'm not a huge fan of TV. I'd rather unwind at the gym or with a book (that includes Facebook!) than flip through the TV channels searching for something interesting to watch. I do have my select fav shows that I religiously watch and absolutely love...one of those being American Idol.

I was reading The Detroit News a few weeks back and saw a call for American Idol fans interested in blogging for Det News during Season 8. I debated about it for a few days (do I really want my face on the News' Web site, do I have enough time, etc.). But in the end, I decided I had nothing to lose and should go for it. Long story short, I am now an American Idol blogger for The Detroit News! Yes I'm a huge nerd, but hey I'm having fun AND flexing my writing muscles. So there! :)

I'll be blogging weekly through the entire season (except during my much-anticipated first trip to Europe next month!). You can check out my rants here. Don't click under my face in the right-hand column because there's a glitch. Scroll down through the blogs until you find mine. Feel free to comment like my dear friend Andrea Pecs and show me some love!

A Message from Detroit to the World

2009-01-12T20:30:00.006-05:00

If you live anywhere near Detroit and haven't read Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom's ode to the city, you must be living under a rock.

Mitch's article was originally published in Sports Illustrated and then republished on the front page of this past Sunday's Free Press. When Sports Illustrated questioned the Detroiter about whether or not people still cared about this city, Mitch answered loud and clear. "And yet..." chronicles the ups and downs of the city of Detroit stating loud and clear that we are not "the gum on the bottom of America's shoe."

There are many references to past and present sports teams because, well, Mitch IS a sports writer. But his underlying message is insanely powerful. The message he wants to drill into every American's head is this: Detroit is resilient.

If you don't live here, you just don't get it. I don't have enough fingers and toes to list the reasons why Detroit stinks right now, yet pride still shines brightly throughout the city. It's true -- people are HAPPY to live and work in Detroit. And I'm one of them.

The article is lengthy, but take 10 minutes to let Mitch's words soak in. If someone were picking on someone you love, you'd defend them in heartbeat, right? Why not do the same for your city? I won't claim to have always believed in Detroit, because before I started working here, I never had a true appreciation for it. But I'll be the first one to speak up now when someone criticizes the city. I've met so many talented and creative people from in and around Detroit in the past two years who have taught me what it means to be a proud Detroiter.

Yes 2008 was rough, and the forecast looks just as dark and gloomy for this year. But have a little faith people. I think Mitch sums it up nicely. "To hell with Depression. We're gonna have a good year."

A Very Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T13:35:00.005-05:00

Ohhh the holidays! Christmas has come and gone and now it's time to look forward to champagne popping and hugs and kisses to ring in 2009. I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas/Hanukkah. I look forward to Christmas every year and the feelings of happiness and nostalgia that come attached with the holiday. However, this year was a bit different. For a variety of reasons, I wasn't as excited as I normally am for the holiday season. It didn't seem right to splurge on holiday gifts when so many people in Michigan are suffering. So, I drastically cut down on the amount I spent on gifts this year. After talking with friends and family, I realized I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

I do want to share a story that reignited my Christmas spark and reminded me that happiness during the holidays equates to so much more then spending gobs of money on gifts for people who already have so much. Each year, my PR agency adopts a family for the holidays. For the second consecutive year, we enlisted the help of our client, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit, to find a local family in need. TSA found us a family from Roseville and those of us who could afford to do so went shopping for the mom and her four children. I decided that I wanted to take part in the gift delivery this year, so me and four of my other colleagues played the role of Santa's Elves and delivered the wrapped gifts to the family's home. I can't explain how happy it made me feel to see the kiddies (who were beyond adorable with their curly, white blonde hair) beaming as we walked through the door with armloads of gifts. Isabelle showed us how she dances like a ballerina, Zach told us how he wants to be an architect when he grows up and the youngest ones, Chloe and Logan, watched us with shy but intriguing eyes as we chatted with their other family members. The kids' mom, Beth, and grandma thanked us up and down for giving their family a very merry Christmas. Beth also gave us a card from the whole family that again thanked us and told us before we decided to help their family, they didn't think the kids would have a Christmas this year. Beth promised to send us photos of the kids opening their presents on Christmas morning.

So even though I took it down a notch this holiday season and didn't go all out with present purchasing or decorating, I can honestly say I had a merry Christmas. I can't wait to see the photos of the kids from Christmas morning. I have read so many stories in the past few weeks about selfless individuals, families and organizations going out of their way to help those less fortunate this holiday season. Maybe Michigan and its residents greatly suffered in 2008, but there are angels among us who offered a helping hand and brought happiness and smiles to many. So here's to 2009 and hoping that more people continue to brighten the lives of others.

What Every Woman Should Have and Know Before Turning 30

2008-12-14T12:23:00.005-05:00

**Image from Glamour Magazine's Web site

I usually tend to ignore forward e-mails because I refuse to partake in the "pass this along to six people in the next hour and you'll marry the person of your dreams." However, thanks to Beckels, I actually paid attention to one that included a list detailing what every woman should have and know. The e-mail attributes the compilation to the great Maya Angelou. But thanks to Google, I found that the true author is Pamela Redmond Satran. And let me tell you, she is a bit peeved that Ms. Angelou tends to more often than not get the credit for this creative list. Rightfully so!

Anyway, Satran's advice touches on relationships, love, physical objects, work issues and life in general. She created the list for a 1997 Glamour article in light of recently turning 30. Satran wanted to share her words of wisdom with younger women, thus creating the "30 things every woman should have and should know by the time she's 30" list. The wrongly-attributed Maya Angelou forward is a bit different from the list on Glamour's Web site, so I'm including the list from the magazine instead. See if you agree with Satran's advice.

By 30, you should have:

One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
A youth you’re content to move beyond.
A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it.
An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.
A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
The belief that you deserve it.
A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know:

How to fall in love without losing yourself.
How you feel about having kids.
How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
When to try harder and when to walk away.
How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
How to take control of your own birthday.
That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
Why they say life begins at 30.

I find Satran's list to be very clever and comical. I can't honestly say I'll have a set of screwdrivers and a cordless drill by the time I'm 30, but I'd like to put a checkmark next to most of the items on this list when I reach that milestone.

Technology Rules the World

2008-11-30T13:48:00.006-05:00

Everyone knows technology has taken over the world and has forever changed the way we communicate, connect, share information, make purchases....the list goes on and on. Technology has helped professionals, students and every-day people develop and foster a whole new level of creativity. It's even drastically changing entire industries...some for the better, others for the worse.

I have to give a shout out and thanks to Lauren W. for finding and sharing the video Did You Know 3.0. The video (credited to Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Jeff Brenman) is brimming with stats about how technology has revolutionized the world. The video also forecasts some future cause and effects of technology. It repeatedly asks the question "did you know?" followed by stats and facts related to technology from countries like the United States, India and China. WARNING: The music may cause waves of nausea and force you to believe you are at a rave with 100 strobe lights beaming around you. Check it out, perhaps on mute!

Here's the YouTube link.

I was amazed by this video, but what I found to be the most mind-blowing is:

The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.
1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online.
The number of texts sent and received each day exceeds the total population of the planet.

The video concludes with a thought-provoking question: "So what does it all mean?" It simply means that technology is changing the way we live our lives so rapidly that once we get accustomed to one thing, it's outdated and we're moving on to the next phase. So is true for professionals working in creative industries such as PR, marketing, journalism and anything Web-based. The way I started doing my job nearly two years ago is definitely NOT the way I do my job today. And...I'll probably say the same thing six months from now.

So how we do handle all this? My two cents: Embrace (don't fear) new knowledge and learn as much as possible about how to utilize these technology-evoked changes to advance your personal and professional life. Simple, right ;)

A Scene from The Notebook in the City of Milan

2008-11-24T20:27:00.004-05:00

Looking back at recent posts, I realized that I've been neglecting the second-in-line theme of my blog - love. I've focused my writing efforts quite a bit on creativity, so now I've found the perfect story to bring me back to el amor. I've actually had the link to this article saved in my e-mail inbox for a few weeks, so I've finally found some time to share this tear-jerking story.

I'm a huge fan of The Notebook (I know, typical girl). So if you're familiar with the flick, you know that Noah and Allie move on to the afterlife together wrapped in each others arms in bed. Ideally, that's the way to go...simultaneous with your soul mate so neither person has to bear the pain of living alone. This near exact phenomenon occurred in a teensy town called Milan, Mich. Jo Mathis from The Ann Arbor News wrote this touching article about Emil and Genevieve Schultz, who passed away within hours of each other two months after celebrating their 73rd anniversary.

To sum the story up, the couple met and fell in love at the tender ages of 12 and 14. Emil and Genevieve were extremely close with their family members and placed a high importance on setting a good example for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Fast forward 70 some years, and Emil is lying in a hospital bed with no hope of recovery. On the other hand, Genevieve is perfectly healthy at the age of 92. So it was a shock when the couple's son found Genevieve dead of a heart attack. Their children believe she simply couldn't cope with the thought of losing her husband, who peacefully died the next night at the hospital at the age of 94. Emil and Genevieve's caskets were separated by two heart-shaped wreaths and they are buried right next to each other at a Milan cemetery.

Now, maybe it's grim that I'm writing about death, but this story is a beautiful testament to the unexplainable powers of love. I wish every person on the face of this earth could find a love as real and rare as Emil and Genevieve's. This story really affected me because it's not like I was reading about it in a typical Nicholas Spark book. It's a true tale from a city not far from my own. And while fictional stories about love make readers sigh and think "I want this in my life," stories like the one about Emil and Genevieve prove that blissful love truly is attainable.

And with that, I've just secured my place on the "Biggest Sap" list. :)

How the Circus Explains PR

2008-11-10T19:48:00.007-05:00

I was tweeting earlier today about how the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Bellobration train was rolling into town and how busy the show is keeping me this week. The circus tweet reminded Ari B. Adler (a fellow Tweeter, blogger, PR/social media pro...and client!) about a creative definition of public relations that he shares with his students. I remember hearing this way back when in IPR 101 at CMU and I'm sure the majority of PR pros have come across this analogy at some point. I think it's fantastic and helps break down the distinction between various aspects of communications.

If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying 'Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday', that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it on the evening news, that's public relations."

I wrote a similar post awhile back about a creative and humorous way to explain the differences between advertising, PR, marketing, etc. No matter which way you look at it, there's no denying that differences DO exist within these related fields!

Make an Impact - Volunteer!

2008-11-09T13:59:00.009-05:00

As citizens of the state of Michigan, we are inundated by sorrowful and negative news on a daily basis. From the Big 3 woes, home foreclosures and homelessness, many families and individuals in the mitten state feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

There are so many amazing organizations throughout southeast Michigan that work diligently to help those in need. With the holidays sneaking up on us at lightning speed, many people will be seeking assistance. So what can you, as one single person, do to make a difference? Volunteer.

I, along with my gal pals Lauren (@metrogal84), Sarah (@sarshie) and Kendall participated in Panera Bread and United Way for Southeastern Michigan's Impact Your Neighborhood program on Saturday at Gleaners Food Bank in Warren, Mich.

DISCLAIMER: If you read my blog or know me well, you know that Panera is my client. I am not writing this to promote or publicize Panera. I am writing about this because volunteering and giving back to my community makes me happy :)

Impact Your Neighborhood is a regional initiative aiming to build stronger communities in metro Detroit. The program offered one-time volunteer projects on select Saturdays in September, October and November. The Gleaners volunteer day was the last project this year, but due to overwhelming interest in the program, we're hoping to expand it next year...so be on the lookout for more details in the future!

So what did we do to make an impact? We helped sort a variety of goods into boxes, then packaged individual boxes for families to take back home with them. Simple, right? All it took was a few short hours and what we did will give happiness to people who are suffering. It was so great to see how many volunteers got up early on a Saturday and took time out of their precious weekend to make a difference.

As I previously mentioned, there are a TON of organizations throughout metro Detroit aiming to help struggling families and individuals that I'm sure are in need of volunteers now and throughout the holidays. Here are a few:

That's just a snippet, so feel free to comment about different organizations that you feel passionate about or ones that need volunteers.

Next up on the volunteer schedule -- ringing bells for The Salvation Army. More to come on that...

Spreading the Social Media Wealth

2008-10-28T20:11:00.006-04:00

In the past week, I've attended two great events that centered on social media and how its changing the public relations profession. I learned some great tips about social media in general and how to utilize it to advance my career and benefit my clients. So, I'm taking this opportunity to spread the wealth and share my newly-acquired knowledge. Chris Brogan preaches the importance of sharing what you learn...because why keep it all inside when you can teach it to someone else? I concur :)

The first event I attended was hosted by the Detroit chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators at Automation Alley in Troy and was titled "Social Media: Can You Digg It?" Love the creative title! The panel consisted of Lisa Platt, director of interactive media at Skidmore Studio, Tonja Deegan, social media specialist at Airfoil Public Relations and Chasen Cunitz, a recent communications grad of Hillsdale College and current employee at Toyota.

The three panelists were very knowledgeable on the topic of social media and how to integrate it into any communications outreach. I felt like I knew and understood the majority of what they were discussing and was hoping to get a bit more out of the session, but unfortunately many people in the audience didn't even know what Twitter was. Therefore, a lot of time was spent explaining the different sites that are creating such a social media firestorm nowadays. I did of course find the discussion to be valuable, so here's what I feel is most important to share:

People are always watching what you're saying online and online content lives forever, so be careful!
Three-fourths of U.S. consumes are online.
A company can't just make a Facebook page and expect results. It's imperative to pay attention to your audience, participate and encourage conversations and watch the behavior of your target audience.
Don't immediately pitch a product via social media sites like Twitter. Start with general conversation, build trust and open the line of dialogue with journalists or your intended audience.
I asked the panelists if the recent article on Wired's Web site by a Silicon Valley correspondent was true and if blogs truly are "so 2004." Answer: Absolutely not. Blogs are more niche and concise now, but they definitely aren't dead. Valuable content is core, so blogging for the sake of blogging may be dead, but blogs themselves still drive search engine optimization.
Responding to comments (both positive and negative) about your company or brand on social media networks is the best word of mouth and something you can't buy in advertisements.
Social media can be overwhelming (ya, you think?!?), so invest as much time as you can, but target what you're doing and be strategic about what social media networks you dabble in. Don't just join 30 forums for bragging rights.

Social media session numero dos was part of the PRSA International Conference that Detroit so proudly hosted for the past few days at the Ren Cen Marriott. This session was titled "The Changed PR Landscape - What Works and What Doesn't." Panelists included Rob Key, founder and CEO of Converseon, David Bradfield, senior vice president and partner at FH Digital and Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Online Marketing. The moderator was Peter Himler (ironically, he writes a blog called The Flack), president of Flatiron Communications, LLC. This session rocked and I was furiously trying to write down everything these social media gurus were discussing, so here's what I managed to capture:

Brands don't communicate, people do.
91 percent of journalists use search engines to find experts for stories and to research people they are including in stories.
PR people need to become publishers in order for content to be found by journalists.
PR people also need to optimize content and make it visible to their clients' audiences.
The dynamic of pitching journalists is changing because more are finding story ideas and experts via social media networks.
Become a native in social media communities and figure out what these communities are all about (what's the language, cultural need, etc).
Listening is a marketing discipline - communications centers on the ability to listen.
If you find positive sentiment about your client, energize it. Also engage with people who talk negatively about your client or client's brand.
The once hailed social media release isn't as broadly used as when it was first introduced.
Turn your releases into something more engaging and speak the language of your customers.
Communication tools will constantly change, so don't lose sight of the bare bones of communicating.
You can engage bloggers first to reach mainstream media versus going the opposite route and trying to reach bloggers via mainstream media coverage.
We're still in the early days of social media ROI -- no one has it all figured out yet.
The heart of communicating and making your voice heard is simple: Say something interesting and people will listen, care and respond.

WHEW! So I know people have itty-bitty attention spans and this post is uber long, but I learned so much this past week and truly felt compelled to share it all. These social media sessions were fantastic and I thank those who participated because they planted quite a few creative seeds in my head!

I Got Tagged By the Six Random Things Post!

2008-10-22T20:52:00.006-04:00

Thanks to my darling dearest friend Lauren (aka @metrogal84 for those in the Twitterverse) for tagging me in her recent post on six unspectacular things about herself. So I guess now it's my turn to reveal six random and unspectacular things about myself! This is stumping me a bit because some random things about me are quite the opposite of unspectacular (or so I like to think!), but I'll give it a whirl.

1. I am most likely one of the most empathetic people you will ever encounter in your life. There are positives and negatives to this because it means I care deeply for people, but it also means I cry EVERY TIME I watch Grey's Anatomy or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition...or if I see a stray dog on the street because I worry it will get hurt or not be able to find its owner. Yes I know, a bit over the top.

2. I'm creative with my thoughts and words, but have zero artistic talent. I am cringing because every year we do a pumpkin decorating contest at work and the deadline is right around the corner!

3. I don't live on the wild side. I am scared of things that move fast or could cause potential injury, such as sledding. Related to this, I've only ever broken one bone in my body (the radius in my left wrist after falling off the monkey bars in kindergarten). I have however, sprained both ankles multiple times due to volleyball and tennis in high school and college.

4. I love anything banana flavored....yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, pie, pudding, cake...the list goes on.

5. I like to sing and can actually carry a tune, but I'm too shy to sing in front of most people. I attribute this to the fact that I'm scarred for life from another kindergarten incident. My music teacher chose me and another girl from the whole class to sing the lead in our Christmas play. I wound up with a 103.0 fever and could not perform. If only I didn't get sick, maybe I would have started performing at a young age. Now I'm too chicken!

6. I get anxiety on numerous occasions from numerous sources. No further explanation is required.

OK, so maybe I elaborated a bit on my 6 unspectacular items, but some needed additional explanations! :) Now, I'm tagging some bloggers who may have to sway a bit from their typical topics to make this work, but hey it's fun and random...nuff said!

A Step Ahead, Beckels and Life is a Journey -- tag you're it!