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Why is “It’s a Wonderful Life” so popular?
“It’s a Wonderful Life” remains to be one of the top Christmas movies year after year. Why does it remain so popular? Well, I believe that the life of George and Mary Bailey, played by James Stewart and Donna Reed, still resembles the joys and struggles of America. With our current economy crisis, I believe that it portrays the American Dream even more now.
Like George, many of us have dreams and ambitions and work toward these as much as we can and yet these are usually pushed aside for the most urgent such as family needs, work, and responsibilities. These aren’t bad in and of themselves as they do contribute to things we love, having a focus and a drive, and meet the basic necessities of life. They can provide both intrinsic and extrinsic value.
However, situations can get out of control and, like George, it seems that sometimes you work and you work and yet things just keep piling up. The bills keep adding up, the children get sick, and the relationship that you dreamed about isn’t how it used to be. It can be easy to wonder why all you want is a decent job so that you can earn a living and you can’t even have that or how can it be so tough just to make it in this world?
Especially during the holidays, the emotions and questions of tough times can be more intense. Like George Baily, we question many things when one thing after the other happens. In the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” George has a car accident and drives into a tree, which only adds to his surmounting problems. He questions why he was even born and contemplates suicide and thinks that with the value of his life insurance policy, he is worth more dead than alive.
I’m sure that many of you have felt this way when the pressure keeps rising and all you do is work and struggle. I’ve never contemplated suicide yet I do run into times when I wonder how can it be so hard just to have the bare necessities in life. I question the American Dream at times.
Returning to the holiday classic movie, George runs into Clarence, his guardian angel (played by Henry Travers). Clarence is the perfect human angel as he doesn’t appear as a gleaming beautiful angel all shiny and sparkling and untouchable. He is an everyday fellow who looks ordinary and as if he completely understands. Clarence is not your typical storybook angel. He shows George what life and his little town would have been like had it not been for George. As these things were being revealed to him he sees the truth, the blessings, and the things that he could not focus on as he was so heavily focusing on the negative.
He prays for forgiveness and is granted his wish with much grace. George suddenly appreciates the “little” things which all along have been the big things and realizes that he indeed does have a wonderful life.
We can all relate to this. How often have we had to get to a certain point or something tragic had to happen for us to realize how we have forgotten that we are already truly blessed? How often have we focused on the things that will never be satisfied, can never be met, and will drive us to insanity? Then when our lives get so out of balance, something dramatic happens (maybe not an angel in pajamas) but the small or large miracles that reveal to us that we do indeed have many blessings and that it is truly a wonderful life.
When it comes to shooting sunset photographs, timing is everything.
When it comes to catching that very special sunset moment on camera, timing is everything. Here are some tips for taking shots during those stunning times so that you can leave little room for, “Pictures just don’t do justice”:
Only a few rare times in life do you get that perfect sunset shot naturally without any effort whatsoever. In most cases, some planning and timing must be involved.
Planning is the key to everything.
Determine what time the sun will set and keep an eye on the weather too.
Allow enough time to get there and to set up your equipment.
Look for the best spot to set up, test your equipment, and prefocus.
Determine your subject and set your camera in the right mode. I.e., if you are shooting a moving subject such as a jobber, keep your camera on the continuous mode drive.
Isolate your subject by finding the biggest section in the frame and then isolating it there.
Allow some time after sunset as some of the best “action” and colors happen after the sun goes down.
Lena Hunt’s Testimony as a Travel Correspondent and Photojournalist
This may sound like a cliche but I think-no, I KNOW- that my entire life has been geared for the very moment that I became a published writer, author, and travel correspondent. From my love of writing and dreams of traveling back in my younger days on a small farm in the Midwest to my education in Business Administration, Fine Arts, and Sports Medicine, I am finally able to compile my entire life’s experiences into a life work that I absolutely LOVE!
This opportunity of a lifetime means more than traveling, writing, and photography. It’s about meeting people from various cultures, sharing what you know, and learning what they know. It’s about bridging the gap in the differences of this world. It’s about helping others and letting them help you.Not only have I been able to travel to dream locations but the connectivity that I have found are priceless! Rock climbing and sleeping on the desert floor of the surreal Joshua Tree National Park allowed me to overcome my fear of trusting others and giving up control as I depended on my belayer to get me down from heights I’d never imagine myself to climb. My greatest motivator was a senior citizen who was always the first one to try anything. I thought to myself as I watched her, if she could do it then I can do it. I would never have guessed that it was her first rock climbing experience also.Surfing in southern California the CORRECT way without getting bashed in the head and wiping out each time was quite an accomplishment. I’ve always dreamed of being a surfer girl. Never did I realize that my teenage dreams would come true long after my teen years were over and this was only made possible by learning from females and with females only. It was a much easier learning process. I’m realizing that it’s never too late to fulfill your dreams!Kayaking through the monstrous surf of San Diego was another amazing adventure! The crashing waves don’t seem so intimidating anymore. Suddenly, the fears I’ve faced as I deal with them head on aren’t so scary after all and having experienced locals teach you the ropes makes it even better.Watching the sparkle in my daughter’s eye as she sailed a boat for the first time and shared the sailor’s lingo with her private instructor was not only my wish come true but hers also!Hanging with celebrities in Palm Springs and having them share with me some of their fears and dreams as if I’m one of their old buddies from days gone by is beyond words.
Spending five weeks on my beloved Caribbean island (and eventually living there) was only possible through travel writing. Shedding the materialism and rat race stress of every day life, I was able to live as a true islander. To have no time restraints, laze under the shade of a coconut palm, and to focus only on the person and conversation at hand without my mind racing from one thing to the next. Complete and unindisturbed quality time and connectivity with another person. This is what living should be all about!
I have made friends from all corners of the world for a lifetime through my travels. From the dive instructor whose father was the teacher of Jacques Cousteau to the British Commander sent by the Queen on a diving expedition to Belize to world famous yoga masters, I could list them all and tell about each person and every experience but it would take more than a lifetime. I just know that what I have gained from being a photojournalist is worth more than all the riches in this world.
I started as a writer but now I am more than a writer. I am a photojournalist, a VIP, an Ambassador for the region I come from and the area I travel to. I represent the media, women, athletes, parents, teachers, artists, readers, travelers, students, and many others of this world. I, being one simple person, am able to make a difference by touching one life at a time. Who knew that a gal from the midwest could accomplish such a tremendous thing?
The WRITE way to get your photographs the attention they deserve.
We spend so much time on our photography from loading up our equipment, getting to our destination, and editing the shots in order to get the attention of the ones who view our photos. And, yes, a picture does speak a million words BUT in the digital world, which is loaded with photos and videos bombarding us, how do we stand above the pile of pictures? By truly telling the stories with caption and a short blog or description.
A flowing stream in the mountains can be enhanced by telling the story of the brisk air, jumping fish, and how long it took to wait on just the right sunlight. An amazing castle photograph can speak even more with a history of the royal families who once dwelled within its halls. A simple flower picture is painted more graphically by giving the name of the flora and perhaps the meaning of the name. Also, if you’re going to put your photograph online, those words can drive your photos, blog site, and websites up the search engines. This is a win-win situation: to be user friendly and have search engine visibility.
Celebritizing You, Mandatek.
PRESS RELEASE:
2009’s largest CPA show
2100 CPAs
+100 Exhibitors
____________________
= Countless Success Potential
Mandatek will be hightlighting Comarch Altum, a European ERP/Accounting Solution, at The 2009 Midwest Accounting & Finance Showcase, the largest state CPA Show in the U.S.
Contact:
Fred McMurray
fmcmurray@mandatek.com
630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531 630-480-0531
Join Mandatek on August 25-26, 2009 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention
Center in Rosemont, IL. They will be highlighting Comarch Altum at The
2009 Midwest Accounting & Finance Showcase, the largest state CPA Show in
the U.S. Over 2,100 CPAs and finance professionals from Illinois and
surrounding states and 100 exhibiting companies will be at this 29th
annual premiere event.
ADP, BNA, CPA2Biz, Intuit, Thomas Reuters, SmartVault, and Warehouse
Direct are just a few of the exhibitors. For more information about the
event, learn the benefits of being an exhibitor, and/or to get a free
exhibit pass (save $25) visit www.flaggmgmt.com/icpas/default.htm.
The event will be held on August 25, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central and August 26, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Central.
Be one of the first to test drive the latest business and technology products and financial services.
Contact Fred McMurray for information regarding the event: 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 630.480.0531 or
fmcmurray@mandatek.com
######
Press Release written and submitted by:
Lena Hunt
lena@celebritizeyou.com
LinkedIn: Are You Getting the First Degree?
Founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman, the former Vice President of PayPal, LinkedIn.com is an online professional contact database where members can connect directly with people they already know and trust. Unlike other networking sites, you have to know these contacts directly by having worked with them, attending the same school, or being in a similar group or organization . This immediate connection with people that they already know is considered, according to LinkedIn, as a first-degree connection.
Then members can form second-degree connections by linking with their first-degree contacts’ connections. Then third-degree connections can be developed by going through their contacts’ contacts’ contacts. And so on and so forth. (Wow! Does this get confusing?) Actually, it’s quite simple. Through your friends and contacts, you can connect with their friends and contacts.
This method was created to protect LinkedIn members’ privacy and to develop trust. It was also developed to keep spam and unwanted solicitation at bay.
The power of belonging to such a trusted network means that you can connect with someone who knows someone who knows someone else. Can you imagine contacting the owner of the company in which you wish to gain employment through a friend or colleague of his/hers? Or how about connecting with someone who you might never get a chance to meet or talk to in real life? This increases your chances of success and meeting your goals as well as helping others succeed. This is the power of LinkedIn.
So getting the first degree isn’t such a bad thing after all, is it?
A new baby is born! LenaHunt.net arrived today, July 14, 2009.
She’s a beauty with lots of potential to help make others successful. LenaHunt.net has many wonderful features and characters. Visit the new delivery and find the right e-article, e-book, photos, and video clips in the right amount that you need. These resources and tools are at pocket-change price and are immediately downloadable. Why pay for what you don’t want or need and why wait for huge downloads?
Now you can download the perfect one-to-three minute video that will promote your website in the best way or you can download a lesson on verb tenses and not have to pay for the entire online education curriculum. How about getting an easy-to-read one page research report without having to go through the entire medical journal? A how-to article or video on how to unclog your sink or a virtual tour of the hotel you’re dreaming of visiting can be downloaded immediately. Perfect audio clips that will help deliver your brand message and enhance your business and/or social goals can be found at LenaHunt.net too.
Photo courtesy of freerangestock.com.
A real life success story. A real life recommendation. 
Many people ask me why I don’t write fiction. “Because all of life is a story,” is my answer. Without the actual experience, this recommendation could not have been written in the way that only real life can tell it. My recommendation of my Consultant Daniel Stoica:
“I’m so frustrated. I am working on an all-commission basis for two companies and I’m supporting this specific cause. I’m spending twelve hours per day, six days a week, and even a few hours on Sundays and getting nowhere! On top of that, sales are extremely low due to the economy yet the result of my work are obvious such as ads being placed in print and online magazines, banners are all over various sites, and back-end linking are being created but I’m not getting income because I’m on all commission.” I told Daniel Stoica. He could hear my frustration over the phone.
My new Consultant, Daniel created a word picture so that I could see my life’s scenario in my mind’s eye. “Okay, imagine three circles and each represents your various business endeavors. One is for this company. One stands for the other company. The last one stands for the cause where you donate your time and efforts. Each circle also has to do with luxury, or in other words, things that are more desired in a better economy. Now I’m drawing a big circle around the three smaller circles. This big circle represents Lena. You are working on all three yet none of them belong to you. You’re spending all this time without pay to build someone else’s business. Not only that, you’re promoting things that aren’t really that needed right now.” Daniel told me quite honestly and I listened very intently.
He asked me what my passion is and said he already knew and had it written down. “My passion is writing, photography, creating artwork, designing and sewing, creative marketing. It is fitness and traveling.” I went on to describe the things I truly enjoy. “Those are parts or factors of your passion but what is your passion?”
I searched my heart. it took a few minutes because I kept coming up with favorite interests and hobbies. Then suddenly, it came to me although my gut instinct had been nudging my mind to pay attention. “OH! I know my passion! Whether I’m jogging on the beach or writing a magazine feature, I do everything with such creativity, I have to say that my passion is to be intensely creative.”
“Exactly!” my Consultant exclaimed. After that enlightening conversation, in a month’s time he helped me to revamp my love and experience for writing, photography, marketing, public relations, and people skills into a business that is mine and that will help others in a time when people are needing to network. Business networking is the new revolution as people turn to this form of connecting to find jobs and to reach their business goals.
“Celebritize You,” said Daniel. And this is how CelebritizeYou.com and Lena’s working on something for Lena was born. I assist others in redoing their profiles and digital presence. I help them find the right words and use SEO web copy and writings to get the attention of their target audience (user friendly) and to climb the search engines (search engine visibility).
Celebritize You allows me to assist others in their success. By taking my passion (which I have been doing as a writer, photographer, and creative marketing expert) and creating a niche, the phone is ringing again and the e-mails are coming in.
Having Daniel Stoica as my full time Consultant has changed my work from a daily frustration to a daily joy of looking forward to helping others meet their goals as I meet mine. It makes all the difference in the world when my passion is my profession!
By Lena Hunt
Turn your passion into your profession.
Why settle for clocking in and clocking out doing what you’re told to do and when to take coffee breaks and lunch breaks? Why work night and day only to long for some free time when you can play your guitar, travel the world, or tear apart that computer to see how it’s built? Why wait for some day to do what you really want to do? I had decided over ten years ago that seeing the world, taking shots of my trips, and writing about the great time that I spent with my family would be my profession. I gave myself a goal of six months. It happened in two. By submitting a short article that I had written about a recent trip to a Caribbean island, my article was published within the first week of submission and began a decade-long journey of making my passion of travel writing into my profession.
Now I have a full-time Consultant who guides me throughout my business endeavors to help me to continue on the the path of turning my passion into my profession. Regardless of the various business ventures that I come upon, Daniel Stoica insures that what I do professionally will always be done passionately. It’s a WORLD of difference when you have someone who makes it his passion to turn your passion into your profession.
The WRITE of Her Life! 
Julia’s eyes lit up and her voice exuded confidence when she talked about fitness and showed others how to set the machines. As a gym floor attendant, she had just started her own personal training business. She had no problem passing on her hard-earned knowledge and assistance but when it came to telling a potential client about her training services, she just couldn’t gather up the nerve.
She wanted to find a way to be more confident, know what to say to people, and how to present her new training service to others. Yet when she tried, she stumbled through the words and before she could get them out, people were already telling her no and she continued to give away her personal training skills.
Amidst crocodile tears, Julia told me that she did not graduate high school. Then she married young and spent many years caring for her children and taking them to work with her. Janitorial work was her job. She gained that employment after many failed interviews and her self esteem wilted away. The message, “You’re no good. No one wants you.” was what she heard repeatedly as she was turned down job after job.
I worked with her for a year. It all started with the words that she told herself. The words that she heard from those who told her that she was not worthy were allowed to play in her mind repeatedly. Together, we rewrote her story. As typing was a skill she did not acquire, I had her type out her story on the computer. I asked her to write about herself from my eyes. “But you view me in such a great way” was her cry. I told her that I view her in a realistic way.
Day by day and month by month, she poked at the keyboard, typing out her story again but this time, in a more positive, realistic manner. During each biweekly session with Julia, I directed her to locate her strengths. At first she said that were none. I told her to explore and refused to move on until she could see what others see when they asked her for fitness advice.
As she rewrote her life, she found the right words to use for her biography, her introduction, and a way to promote her new business. She found a way to help others by offering them her personal training services. Julia is now a successful personal trainer with many clients. She was also able to do something else that she had always dreamed of which was to type her husband a love letter and e-mail it to him as he had no idea that she learned how to type and use the computer.
To this day, I still get cards and letters from Julia….
It’s 5:00 somewhere…but it’s 5:30 p.m. in Chicago, 6:30 p.m. in New York, 12:30 p.m. in London, 11:30 a.m. in Japan!
You’re just in time for the connection of your life. Celebritize YOU by joining others around the world at the above times on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, for The Big Chicago Blitz #6 phone networking event.
Use your phone to crank up your networking efforts by several notches with one-on-one conversations with people from around the world. The Big Chicago Blitz #6 gives you the opportunity to:
- have one-on-one phone networking events and the opportunity to grow your business without having to leave your home or office
- participate BlitzTime phone events according to your schedule
- choose your networking events and groups and creating your own
- create your profile and audio introduction before the phone networking event
- select who you want to talk to before a phone conversation event have phone conversation events with people nationally and internationally while eliminating long distance phone costs (using VoIP Internet phones, international callers can take advantage of these events)
- send follow-up e-mails to those you have just spoken to immediately after an event
- help you find people, clients, customers, partnerships, work, and more
- conduct meetings and mastermind and brainstorm with others
- strengthen connections from other networking sites such as Linkedin, Ecademy, and Facebook, from the convenience of your home, office, or even country
- Celebritize YOU by sharing with the world via phone networking
Now is the time to celebritize YOU and start seeing results from your networking efforts by signing up at http://www.blitztime.com/events/3284-1128767286-160379
Jetsettersblog blogs about Surf Diva’s new ‘SUP Division and Lena Hunt’s coverage of the surf school.
Jetsettersblog News:
La Jolla, California – Surf Diva Surf School is proud to announce their new surf division: What’SUP, specifically for Standup Paddle (SUP) surfing.
Known to the originators as, Hoe he’e nalu, Standup Paddleboarding is an ancient form of surfing and can be traced back to ancient Polynesia.
Standup Paddle Boarding, or SUP, is the hottest new sport to hit the coast in San Diego. Long recognized in Hawaii as a great way to get a workout on a flat day, standup paddle boarding has also evolved into a new variation of surfing for those who want a fun activity with instant success and an easy learning curve.
Surf Diva Surf School, in the teaching business for 14 successful years, is one of the first schools in San Diego to offer lessons and rentals of SUP boards through its new program called What’SUP.
Located in the most idyllic spot on the west coast to gently launch into the ocean’s premiere scenic and environmentally protected aquatic park, La Jolla Cove and ecological preserve, What’SUP features top male and female instructors from as far as Hawaii and Australia who are drawn to this program because of its stellar worldwide reputation.
What’SUP teaches all ages, including kids, since they are open to anyone who can swim. In fact, co-owner Izzy Tihanyi notes that women seem to learn to balance on the boards a bit easier than most men.
“We’ve taught many couples where the husband is a great surfer and the wife is just starting out.
But on a SUP they are on an even playing field and the ladies just love it!”
“You don’t have to be a surfer to learn to SUP. It’s fun to just paddle in the flat water. The view from above is amazing,” says co-owner Coco Tihanyi.
The water at La Jolla Cove is so clear that you can see through to the leopard sharks (not dangerous, mostly bottom feeders), garibaldi (California’s state fish), and the occasional sea lion, dolphin, or sea bass.
From the SUP it’s one of the most beautiful views in the world: the sweeping cliffs with the famous caves of La Jolla all the way past the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Pier to the fine dark silky sand at Black’s Beach.
Catching waves is something that Surf Diva also teaches, but recommends a basic surfing background before attempting to launch into the line-up.
“It’s important to know what you are doing if you are going for waves, especially in a crowded spot. These are huge boards and understanding how the maneuver in the surf is important for both safety and etiquette,” says Izzy Tihanyi.
“Our SUP instructors are both excellent surfers and paddlers, in addition to being fully certified Surf Diva instructors, are pre-requisites to teaching this amazing sport. So before paddling out to the surf, sign up for a package of SURF n SUP lessons at Surf Diva Surf School, you’ll be glad you did!” With Izzy as the “Surf” and Coco the “Diva”, the Surf Diva boutique opened its doors in 2004 and has been selling a variety of fashion forward and functional surf gear ever since. Surf Diva also designs, markets, and sells its own line of apparel. Its line is enhanced by creative embellishments to catch the Diva’s true independent and adventurous spirit. Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature by Lena Hunt about Surf Diva.
Google, Yahoo, and MSN have just laid off all their employees?!
Have these search engines decided that the visitors and users can do the job without any paid staff? Are they now encouraging the world to continue supporting their businesses by providing the content, images, videos, ads, and culture?
Have the major search engines really given their staff the boot? No!
But they do have their doors wide open, as always, for anyone to contribute by continuing to take part in the production and publishing. In other words, the success of the Internet is due to the participation of the users.
This has led to the new buzz word “social media”. The best way to describe social media is that it is the content that has been created by its audience, its society. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter are forms of social media as the content is created by their members. Although you may not work for the search engines or social media sites, you are helping to create their content and culture. How amazing and powerful is that? Wow!
So the next time you sit down and tweak your profile, post a blog, or add a comment think about the tremendous step that you are taking in expressing yourself to the world. It is indeed much bigger than your 140-character tweet!
Networking is the New Revolution! 
Here are some of the reasons why networking is growing at lightning speed:
The ability to express yourself.
Connecting to others locally and globally.
Connecting with people you may typically may not get a chance to talk to.
The economy crisis leads more people to post their profile and resumes on line in order to look for work, switch careers, and/or promote what they have to offer.
Higher prices lead to staying home more which means more time so it helps to beat boredom.
Networking sites are usually free to use.
Networking sites come in many formats. They offer a wide variety of applications, allowing users to be able to add profiles, photos, blogs, articles, classified ads, upload videos, and much more.
Joining different groups of interest has also made networking such a hit.
There are many more reasons why networking has become the new revolution but there’s not enough room in this blog. Here are some of the most popular networking sites according to InsideCRM:
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.
- Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on “connecting business people” through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.
- Focus: Focus is a business destination where business professionals can help each other with their purchase and other business decisions by accessing research and peer expertise. Most importantly, Focus provides open, quality information for all businesses that is freely available, easily accessible, and community powered.
- YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.
- Xing: An account with networking site Xing can “open doors to thousands of companies.” Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to “find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels.”
- Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.
- Care2: Care2 isn’t just a networking community for professionals: It’s touted as “the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference.” If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.
- Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.
- MEETin.org: Once you’ve acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.
- Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.
- Ziggs: Ziggs is “organizing and connecting people in a professional way.” Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company’s presence online and further your own personal career.
- Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.
- NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You’ll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.
- Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.
You’re an amazing person with a lifetime of experiences, skills, and talents to share. But if these qualities are not shared or properly displayed, the world may never know. No matter where you are in life and what your goals may be, people are the most important resource to help you meet your goals and dreams. Others need you, as well, in reaching their needs and wants.
This is why networking is so important. But only the right type of networking and not the ones that lead you to frustration, spending needless time, effort, and money. Genuine, positive, and mutual connections and relations should be the focus when networking. In other words, relational-business connections should be the goal as it is the balance between social and business networking. For example, if your connections are strictly business, then this may work a few times or temporarily but approaching someone with a business-only approach won’t be effective in the long run. In fact, it usually is a quick way to make a not-so-good first impression. You know these types of connections by their immediate e-mail or chat, “Hi. Check out my website and get a 20% discount if you purchase within the next seven days.” People tend to want to flee from the all-business “introduction”. Like in reality, many people, when approached with a sudden sales pitch, want to find a way to get out of there fast, make excuses, or if they do make a purchase, it’s very unlikely that they’ll buy again or tell their friends.
On the other end of the spectrum, those who are too sociable and/or mix too much social networking with business tend to run people off due to their lack of professionalism and unclear goals. You can spot these people by their profiles, websites, and conversations. “Hey, how ya doin’? So I have this commercial fishing business and, well, you should hang out with me some time and we can throw back a few beers, and, hey, check out the prices of each trip at my website.” Their pages and sites contain a mix of personal photos, some professional links, some scanned letters from loved ones, and their posted comments (whether written by them or posted by others) are extremely varied. This is not effective when trying to conduct business and to network for professional purposes.
A balance between the two (business and social networking) which I shall call “relational business” networking provides the best approach for positive, genuine, and mutual connections. These connections are similar to the way we successfully conduct business in the real world. A little bit of getting to know someone on a personal level mixed in with talks of business projects and collaborations. A conversation about a possible conference blended with a hint of humor. You get the point as it’s just natural and logical. In other words, just be REAL.
So go out and network to your heart’s content but keep it genuine, positive, and mutual. Then you will find much success through your networking efforts.
Jobs are at an all-time decline. Business Networking is at an all-time rise.
Two million in the USA lost their jobs since March 2009. This brings the total up to 5.1 million people having lost their jobs since the beginning of 2008, reports CNNMoney.com. This is the highest unemployment rate that the United States has seen in 25 years. The unemployment rate has climbed to a staggering 8.5%. The industries hit the hardest are manufacturing and construction. The amount of hours for the work week has also been cut in all industries. People have to turn to different methods in order to look for work, promote themselves, and their businesses, and to increase sales. This is one reason why networking has become so popular. Networking is not just for socializing anymore. By networking with others, one can reach his or her goals faster. There is only so much time and energy in which an individual has to accomplish things. Yet if he or she has a network of people with whom he or she can turn to, then much more can be accomplished. Business networking is seeing an enormous rise and the popularity of business networking sites have soared dramatically. Yet many still fail to understand networking. The biggest problem is that most people begin with a first impression –their profile — that is incomplete or even nonexistent. Having a profile that truly reveals the personable you and the professional you is the first impression that you send out to the world. This is the one chance that you have to get the world to take notice and to take action. So don’t blow it. Make that profile work for you! Don’t be shy to celebritize you. You do it all the time naturally. You did it when you landed your jobs before using your resume and/or phone calls and interviews. It’s not different online other than the fact that it is called a profile. Make that profile completely reveal who you truly are!
We spend so much time on our photography from loading up our equipment, getting to our destination, and editing the shots in order to get the attention of the ones who view our photos. And, yes, a picture does speak a million words BUT in the digital world, which is loaded with photos and videos bombarding us, how do we stand above the pile of pictures? By truly telling the stories with caption and a short blog or description.A new baby is born! LenaHunt.net arrived today, July 14, 2009.Now you can download the perfect one-to-three minute video that will promote your website in the best way or you can download a lesson on verb tenses and not have to pay for the entire online education curriculum. How about getting an easy-to-read one page research report without having to go through the entire medical journal? A how-to article or video on how to unclog your sink or a virtual tour of the hotel you’re dreaming of visiting can be downloaded immediately. Perfect audio clips that will help deliver your brand message and enhance your business and/or social goals can be found at LenaHunt.net too.
Photo courtesy of freerangestock.com.
A real life success story. A real life recommendation.
Many people ask me why I don’t write fiction. “Because all of life is a story,” is my answer. Without the actual experience, this recommendation could not have been written in the way that only real life can tell it. My recommendation of my Consultant Daniel Stoica:
“I’m so frustrated. I am working on an all-commission basis for two companies and I’m supporting this specific cause. I’m spending twelve hours per day, six days a week, and even a few hours on Sundays and getting nowhere! On top of that, sales are extremely low due to the economy yet the result of my work are obvious such as ads being placed in print and online magazines, banners are all over various sites, and back-end linking are being created but I’m not getting income because I’m on all commission.” I told Daniel Stoica. He could hear my frustration over the phone.
My new Consultant, Daniel created a word picture so that I could see my life’s scenario in my mind’s eye. “Okay, imagine three circles and each represents your various business endeavors. One is for this company. One stands for the other company. The last one stands for the cause where you donate your time and efforts. Each circle also has to do with luxury, or in other words, things that are more desired in a better economy. Now I’m drawing a big circle around the three smaller circles. This big circle represents Lena. You are working on all three yet none of them belong to you. You’re spending all this time without pay to build someone else’s business. Not only that, you’re promoting things that aren’t really that needed right now.” Daniel told me quite honestly and I listened very intently.
He asked me what my passion is and said he already knew and had it written down. “My passion is writing, photography, creating artwork, designing and sewing, creative marketing. It is fitness and traveling.” I went on to describe the things I truly enjoy. “Those are parts or factors of your passion but what is your passion?”
I searched my heart. it took a few minutes because I kept coming up with favorite interests and hobbies. Then suddenly, it came to me although my gut instinct had been nudging my mind to pay attention. “OH! I know my passion! Whether I’m jogging on the beach or writing a magazine feature, I do everything with such creativity, I have to say that my passion is to be intensely creative.”
“Exactly!” my Consultant exclaimed. After that enlightening conversation, in a month’s time he helped me to revamp my love and experience for writing, photography, marketing, public relations, and people skills into a business that is mine and that will help others in a time when people are needing to network. Business networking is the new revolution as people turn to this form of connecting to find jobs and to reach their business goals.
“Celebritize You,” said Daniel. And this is how CelebritizeYou.com and Lena’s working on something for Lena was born. I assist others in redoing their profiles and digital presence. I help them find the right words and use SEO web copy and writings to get the attention of their target audience (user friendly) and to climb the search engines (search engine visibility).
Celebritize You allows me to assist others in their success. By taking my passion (which I have been doing as a writer, photographer, and creative marketing expert) and creating a niche, the phone is ringing again and the e-mails are coming in.
Having Daniel Stoica as my full time Consultant has changed my work from a daily frustration to a daily joy of looking forward to helping others meet their goals as I meet mine. It makes all the difference in the world when my passion is my profession!
By Lena Hunt
Turn your passion into your profession.
Why settle for clocking in and clocking out doing what you’re told to do and when to take coffee breaks and lunch breaks? Why work night and day only to long for some free time when you can play your guitar, travel the world, or tear apart that computer to see how it’s built? Why wait for some day to do what you really want to do? I had decided over ten years ago that seeing the world, taking shots of my trips, and writing about the great time that I spent with my family would be my profession. I gave myself a goal of six months. It happened in two. By submitting a short article that I had written about a recent trip to a Caribbean island, my article was published within the first week of submission and began a decade-long journey of making my passion of travel writing into my profession.
Now I have a full-time Consultant who guides me throughout my business endeavors to help me to continue on the the path of turning my passion into my profession. Regardless of the various business ventures that I come upon, Daniel Stoica insures that what I do professionally will always be done passionately. It’s a WORLD of difference when you have someone who makes it his passion to turn your passion into your profession.
The WRITE of Her Life!
Julia’s eyes lit up and her voice exuded confidence when she talked about fitness and showed others how to set the machines. As a gym floor attendant, she had just started her own personal training business. She had no problem passing on her hard-earned knowledge and assistance but when it came to telling a potential client about her training services, she just couldn’t gather up the nerve.
She wanted to find a way to be more confident, know what to say to people, and how to present her new training service to others. Yet when she tried, she stumbled through the words and before she could get them out, people were already telling her no and she continued to give away her personal training skills.
Amidst crocodile tears, Julia told me that she did not graduate high school. Then she married young and spent many years caring for her children and taking them to work with her. Janitorial work was her job. She gained that employment after many failed interviews and her self esteem wilted away. The message, “You’re no good. No one wants you.” was what she heard repeatedly as she was turned down job after job.
I worked with her for a year. It all started with the words that she told herself. The words that she heard from those who told her that she was not worthy were allowed to play in her mind repeatedly. Together, we rewrote her story. As typing was a skill she did not acquire, I had her type out her story on the computer. I asked her to write about herself from my eyes. “But you view me in such a great way” was her cry. I told her that I view her in a realistic way.
Day by day and month by month, she poked at the keyboard, typing out her story again but this time, in a more positive, realistic manner. During each biweekly session with Julia, I directed her to locate her strengths. At first she said that were none. I told her to explore and refused to move on until she could see what others see when they asked her for fitness advice.
As she rewrote her life, she found the right words to use for her biography, her introduction, and a way to promote her new business. She found a way to help others by offering them her personal training services. Julia is now a successful personal trainer with many clients. She was also able to do something else that she had always dreamed of which was to type her husband a love letter and e-mail it to him as he had no idea that she learned how to type and use the computer.
To this day, I still get cards and letters from Julia….
It’s 5:00 somewhere…but it’s 5:30 p.m. in Chicago, 6:30 p.m. in New York, 12:30 p.m. in London, 11:30 a.m. in Japan!
You’re just in time for the connection of your life. Celebritize YOU by joining others around the world at the above times on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, for The Big Chicago Blitz #6 phone networking event.
Use your phone to crank up your networking efforts by several notches with one-on-one conversations with people from around the world. The Big Chicago Blitz #6 gives you the opportunity to:
- have one-on-one phone networking events and the opportunity to grow your business without having to leave your home or office
- participate BlitzTime phone events according to your schedule
- choose your networking events and groups and creating your own
- create your profile and audio introduction before the phone networking event
- select who you want to talk to before a phone conversation event have phone conversation events with people nationally and internationally while eliminating long distance phone costs (using VoIP Internet phones, international callers can take advantage of these events)
- send follow-up e-mails to those you have just spoken to immediately after an event
- help you find people, clients, customers, partnerships, work, and more
- conduct meetings and mastermind and brainstorm with others
- strengthen connections from other networking sites such as Linkedin, Ecademy, and Facebook, from the convenience of your home, office, or even country
- Celebritize YOU by sharing with the world via phone networking
Now is the time to celebritize YOU and start seeing results from your networking efforts by signing up at http://www.blitztime.com/events/3284-1128767286-160379
Jetsettersblog blogs about Surf Diva’s new ‘SUP Division and Lena Hunt’s coverage of the surf school.
Jetsettersblog News:
La Jolla, California – Surf Diva Surf School is proud to announce their new surf division: What’SUP, specifically for Standup Paddle (SUP) surfing.
Known to the originators as, Hoe he’e nalu, Standup Paddleboarding is an ancient form of surfing and can be traced back to ancient Polynesia.
Standup Paddle Boarding, or SUP, is the hottest new sport to hit the coast in San Diego. Long recognized in Hawaii as a great way to get a workout on a flat day, standup paddle boarding has also evolved into a new variation of surfing for those who want a fun activity with instant success and an easy learning curve.
Surf Diva Surf School, in the teaching business for 14 successful years, is one of the first schools in San Diego to offer lessons and rentals of SUP boards through its new program called What’SUP.
Located in the most idyllic spot on the west coast to gently launch into the ocean’s premiere scenic and environmentally protected aquatic park, La Jolla Cove and ecological preserve, What’SUP features top male and female instructors from as far as Hawaii and Australia who are drawn to this program because of its stellar worldwide reputation.
What’SUP teaches all ages, including kids, since they are open to anyone who can swim. In fact, co-owner Izzy Tihanyi notes that women seem to learn to balance on the boards a bit easier than most men.
“We’ve taught many couples where the husband is a great surfer and the wife is just starting out.
But on a SUP they are on an even playing field and the ladies just love it!”
“You don’t have to be a surfer to learn to SUP. It’s fun to just paddle in the flat water. The view from above is amazing,” says co-owner Coco Tihanyi.
The water at La Jolla Cove is so clear that you can see through to the leopard sharks (not dangerous, mostly bottom feeders), garibaldi (California’s state fish), and the occasional sea lion, dolphin, or sea bass.
From the SUP it’s one of the most beautiful views in the world: the sweeping cliffs with the famous caves of La Jolla all the way past the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Pier to the fine dark silky sand at Black’s Beach.
Catching waves is something that Surf Diva also teaches, but recommends a basic surfing background before attempting to launch into the line-up.
“It’s important to know what you are doing if you are going for waves, especially in a crowded spot. These are huge boards and understanding how the maneuver in the surf is important for both safety and etiquette,” says Izzy Tihanyi.
“Our SUP instructors are both excellent surfers and paddlers, in addition to being fully certified Surf Diva instructors, are pre-requisites to teaching this amazing sport. So before paddling out to the surf, sign up for a package of SURF n SUP lessons at Surf Diva Surf School, you’ll be glad you did!” With Izzy as the “Surf” and Coco the “Diva”, the Surf Diva boutique opened its doors in 2004 and has been selling a variety of fashion forward and functional surf gear ever since. Surf Diva also designs, markets, and sells its own line of apparel. Its line is enhanced by creative embellishments to catch the Diva’s true independent and adventurous spirit. Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature by Lena Hunt about Surf Diva.
Google, Yahoo, and MSN have just laid off all their employees?!
Have these search engines decided that the visitors and users can do the job without any paid staff? Are they now encouraging the world to continue supporting their businesses by providing the content, images, videos, ads, and culture?
Have the major search engines really given their staff the boot? No!
But they do have their doors wide open, as always, for anyone to contribute by continuing to take part in the production and publishing. In other words, the success of the Internet is due to the participation of the users.
This has led to the new buzz word “social media”. The best way to describe social media is that it is the content that has been created by its audience, its society. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter are forms of social media as the content is created by their members. Although you may not work for the search engines or social media sites, you are helping to create their content and culture. How amazing and powerful is that? Wow!
So the next time you sit down and tweak your profile, post a blog, or add a comment think about the tremendous step that you are taking in expressing yourself to the world. It is indeed much bigger than your 140-character tweet!
Networking is the New Revolution!
Here are some of the reasons why networking is growing at lightning speed:
The ability to express yourself.
Connecting to others locally and globally.
Connecting with people you may typically may not get a chance to talk to.
The economy crisis leads more people to post their profile and resumes on line in order to look for work, switch careers, and/or promote what they have to offer.
Higher prices lead to staying home more which means more time so it helps to beat boredom.
Networking sites are usually free to use.
Networking sites come in many formats. They offer a wide variety of applications, allowing users to be able to add profiles, photos, blogs, articles, classified ads, upload videos, and much more.
Joining different groups of interest has also made networking such a hit.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.
- Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on “connecting business people” through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.
- Focus: Focus is a business destination where business professionals can help each other with their purchase and other business decisions by accessing research and peer expertise. Most importantly, Focus provides open, quality information for all businesses that is freely available, easily accessible, and community powered.
- YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.
- Xing: An account with networking site Xing can “open doors to thousands of companies.” Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to “find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels.”
- Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.
- Care2: Care2 isn’t just a networking community for professionals: It’s touted as “the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference.” If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.
- Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.
- MEETin.org: Once you’ve acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.
- Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.
- Ziggs: Ziggs is “organizing and connecting people in a professional way.” Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company’s presence online and further your own personal career.
- Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.
- NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You’ll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.
- Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.
You’re an amazing person with a lifetime of experiences, skills, and talents to share. But if these qualities are not shared or properly displayed, the world may never know. No matter where you are in life and what your goals may be, people are the most important resource to help you meet your goals and dreams. Others need you, as well, in reaching their needs and wants.
This is why networking is so important. But only the right type of networking and not the ones that lead you to frustration, spending needless time, effort, and money. Genuine, positive, and mutual connections and relations should be the focus when networking. In other words, relational-business connections should be the goal as it is the balance between social and business networking. For example, if your connections are strictly business, then this may work a few times or temporarily but approaching someone with a business-only approach won’t be effective in the long run. In fact, it usually is a quick way to make a not-so-good first impression. You know these types of connections by their immediate e-mail or chat, “Hi. Check out my website and get a 20% discount if you purchase within the next seven days.” People tend to want to flee from the all-business “introduction”. Like in reality, many people, when approached with a sudden sales pitch, want to find a way to get out of there fast, make excuses, or if they do make a purchase, it’s very unlikely that they’ll buy again or tell their friends.
On the other end of the spectrum, those who are too sociable and/or mix too much social networking with business tend to run people off due to their lack of professionalism and unclear goals. You can spot these people by their profiles, websites, and conversations. “Hey, how ya doin’? So I have this commercial fishing business and, well, you should hang out with me some time and we can throw back a few beers, and, hey, check out the prices of each trip at my website.” Their pages and sites contain a mix of personal photos, some professional links, some scanned letters from loved ones, and their posted comments (whether written by them or posted by others) are extremely varied. This is not effective when trying to conduct business and to network for professional purposes.
A balance between the two (business and social networking) which I shall call “relational business” networking provides the best approach for positive, genuine, and mutual connections. These connections are similar to the way we successfully conduct business in the real world. A little bit of getting to know someone on a personal level mixed in with talks of business projects and collaborations. A conversation about a possible conference blended with a hint of humor. You get the point as it’s just natural and logical. In other words, just be REAL.
So go out and network to your heart’s content but keep it genuine, positive, and mutual. Then you will find much success through your networking efforts.
Jobs are at an all-time decline. Business Networking is at an all-time rise.
Two million in the USA lost their jobs since March 2009. This brings the total up to 5.1 million people having lost their jobs since the beginning of 2008, reports CNNMoney.com. This is the highest unemployment rate that the United States has seen in 25 years. The unemployment rate has climbed to a staggering 8.5%. The industries hit the hardest are manufacturing and construction. The amount of hours for the work week has also been cut in all industries. People have to turn to different methods in order to look for work, promote themselves, and their businesses, and to increase sales. This is one reason why networking has become so popular. Networking is not just for socializing anymore. By networking with others, one can reach his or her goals faster. There is only so much time and energy in which an individual has to accomplish things. Yet if he or she has a network of people with whom he or she can turn to, then much more can be accomplished. Business networking is seeing an enormous rise and the popularity of business networking sites have soared dramatically. Yet many still fail to understand networking. The biggest problem is that most people begin with a first impression –their profile — that is incomplete or even nonexistent. Having a profile that truly reveals the personable you and the professional you is the first impression that you send out to the world. This is the one chance that you have to get the world to take notice and to take action. So don’t blow it. Make that profile work for you! Don’t be shy to celebritize you. You do it all the time naturally. You did it when you landed your jobs before using your resume and/or phone calls and interviews. It’s not different online other than the fact that it is called a profile. Make that profile completely reveal who you truly are!