Digital marketing strategist, advanced SCUBA diver, supporter of local businesses and sustainable practices, major gadget geek, fitness lover. Find me on twitter @manamica. See all my flavors at flavors.me/manamica or email me - manamica[at]yahoo.com.
I am a fan of such contests because they help me see the world through the eyes of others. I am also a fan of this urban Chicago tree house. Give it a vote:
http://www.theselbycontest.com/entry/81764#
The other day I had a unique conversation with a dear friend about what it takes to turn a great idea into reality. In trying to come up with a metaphor we ended up talking about Ironman training.
But let me go back and explain the connection.
How does one go from having a business idea to turning that idea into a business? How does one go from a simple marketing idea to turning that idea into an actual marketing campaign? Let’s admit it, lots of people have great ideas, but not all turn them into reality.
I am not one to claim that I have the perfected answer. The answer may be different depending on what drives each person. So knowing that my friend had completed an Ironman, I asked her, “How would you go about running an Iron Man again?”, "Would you run an ironman again?"
Her answer was very direct, “If it was 4 months from now I would be able to do it.” That was the training she knew she needed.
I was amazed that she didn’t say, “I won’t do it again,” or, “I don’t know,” or any other indefinite answer. She was able to tell me exactly how much time and the type of training it would take.
That is how you turn an idea into action — define the timeline and take the necessary steps to get there. My friend is an amazing woman who worked hard and knew where she needed help, so she enlisted coaches to train. If you need a coach to help you turn ideas into reality, hire a coach. Or ask for help from friends and family. In many instances turning ideas into reality may mean hiring employees, contractors, engaging helpers, friends and supporters. It may be hard, but it doesn’t mean the idea can’t be accomplished.
Regardless what it takes, nothing will get you there like an attitude of “getting it done.” It may may be cliche but it is true – take one step at a time. Do anything that moves you forward. Even if it does not seem (to you) like an extraordinarily original idea, do something to move forward.
Even imperfect steps are better than no steps at all because mistakes are great teachers. And good ideas turn into great ideas throughout this learning evolution.
So go out there and DO the things you dream of doing. Go out there and claim those possibilities. Let me throw another cliche out there and tell you, you can do it if you just… do it…
The grand prize:
Recipient will receive:
- New Website designed and built by Orbit Media, valued at $14,000
- Marketing Video – also produced by the Orbit team, valued at $4000
- Social Media – training, planning and strategy by Lightspan Digital valued at $2000
- PR Consulting – a 4 month campaign managed by Flanigan Communications valued at $4000
How to enter:
The contest is very simple. It’s a bit of a non-social-media contest. It won’t require following us, friending us, sharing or retweeting anything. All you have to do is fill in the Chicago Cause entry form.
Any other prizes and perks?
You bet! The ten finalists will get a networking party and 30-second web video on Sept 16! The finalists, friends, fans, supporters, and all those interested will get the chance to network, and meet other do-gooders in the community. At this event, Orbit will produce a 30-second web video for each of the finalists.
Be part of the BUZZ!
If you want to share the news, ask questions or share comments you can do all of that on the Chicago Cause Facebook page at facebook.com/ChicagoCause.
Or find us on Twitter @manamica, the Orbit team @orbittracker and Flanigan Communications @DyanaKF
Check out how happy these guys are
I am declaring “curiosity killed the cat” to be one of the worst English proverbs. I have no doubt, it's up there in the top 10 worst sayings. I am constantly and currently rebelling against it.
I cannot envision progress, innovation, and social good without curiosity. Education is based on curiosity, entrepreneurship is based on curiosity, passion is based on curiosity. So why does curiosity get a bad rep?
In general I am sure parents try to keep kids out of trouble by scaring them, telling them that being curious can lead to death. Excuse my bluntness but that's the literal interpretation of “curiosity killed the cat.”
I think lack of curiosity is an instant killer of progress. Imagine a world where no one has any questions or dares to ask any questions. It would be an intellectual dictatorship.
Here's a recent example of how greed killed the cat when curiosity could have saved it - we didn’t get curious as to why people could get home loans higher than the hair on a cat's back, much higher than what they could repay.
In a new media world, curiosity brought us search engines, local business listings, customer reviews, online communities, stronger business partnerships. There are many solutions out there to help us promote our businesses better, to find new customers or clients, to build stronger relationships. It just takes asking how, where, why?
The answer to every question will bring new value to you and your business. So ask, ask ask!
What benefits has being curious brought you?
Jul.08.10 | Blog, New Media, News, Social Media Marketing
We’re very excited to announce that in collaboration with Matt Cheuvront of mattchevy.com we are hosting a social media marketing seminar, July 17.
You will learn practical social media strategies and tactics to:
- Find new customers, friends and fans online
- Turn these new relationships into business connections
- Convert the online connections into in-person relationships and vice-versa.
Who should attend?
- Small business owners looking to make better use of Social Media tools
- Startup/Entrepreneurs pursuing cost-effective marketing strategies
- Anyone wanting to learn more about how Social Media can positively impact your business strategy.
Sign up today! Only 25 spaces available!
Let's make this social >Share with your friends!
The seminar will take place July 17 at 10 AM, at Orbit Media Studios in Chicago.
... turn around and run the opposite way...
Or slow down and search for wet cement.
Otherwise, you may do what I did. I was totally "in the zone," "Gateway to 8K" music louder than the horn on a cement truck. And then it happened very fast - there was the cement truck, and I was running through only-5-minutes-ago-laid-down wet cement. Or rather, I was already on solid ground, and my feet were covered in cement up to the ankles.
Honestly, there were no signs. The workers were on the opposite corner so I had nothing to warn me, except the truck. To their defense, the truck driver was what Chicagol thought was a tornado siren. And I was the tornado.
Before I knew it, I was appologizing and the workers were hosing my feet down. They were very nice, and quickly fixed the side-walk. I ran (wishing the earth would swallow me whole) home, and put my Adizeros in the wash hoping they wouldn't come out (cement) crisp.
So, don't expect signs, instead watch for he truck. If there's a truck there, wet cement could be anywhere.
Funny, eh?
Ward 47 folks (Ravenswood, North Center, Lincoln Square, etc etc) tonight, look for these signs in your neighborhood, and drop off your electronics. The city will pick them up tomorrow, Saturday June 26 at 8 AM.
This from Ward 47 website:
47th Ward Electronics Collection Event
Saturday
Alderman Schulter, in collaboration with Mayor Daley and PCRR, is sponsoring an Electronics Collection Event on Saturday, June 26. Trucks will be sweeping the Ward to pick up your unwanted electronics. Please leave your items on the sidewalk before 8:00 am or you can also bring your items to the 47th Ward Streets and Sanitation Yard at 4141 N. Rockwell until noon.Items accepted include computers, laptops, monitors, printers, fax machines, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, mp3 players, video game consoles, cell phones, and video equipment.
Please do not put out any appliances or hazardous waste.
Residents are encouarged not to place their items out overnight.
The news yesterday that the Chicago City Council zoning committee unanimously approved plans for a Wal-Mart on the city’s South Side read like a press release straight form the Mayor's office. Most publications, including the esteemed Chicago Tribune and New York Times only included the view from the Mayor's pro-Wal-Mart stance.
We heard what the Mayor had to say, or rather what Wal-Mart told the Mayor they estimate the deal would deliver: "Wal-Mart said it was planning several dozen stores in Chicago that would add 12,000 jobs over five years, and more than $500 million in sales taxes and property taxes for the city, according to the company’s estimates."
What is the local business community saying?
Wal-Mart will not bring jobs to Chicago. Let me repeat that: Wal-Mart will not bring jobs to Chicago.
The opening of a monstrous big-box can feel momentarily like a major infusion of jobs. But as they put pressure on smaller retailers, through the sheer scale of their operation, those small businesses disappear. And with them disappears not only their lower wage jobs - their cashiers and sales associates - but the critical middle-class jobs they helped support: local accountants, bookkeepers, graphic designers, soon find themselves without work, post Wal-Mart.
This rippling effect (well documented in critically-acclaimed books such as Stacy Mitchell's The Big Box Swindle), means that at the same time a new Wal-Mart lowers the total number of jobs in a community, it can also depress overall wages. We know also that major big-box outlets can in fact cost local governments more in the long run, as families who live on Wal-Mart's lack-of-benefits plan find themselves relying more on government services.
Read on, for a list of the many economical, political and social cons of this deal, as outlined by Megan Wade Antieau, Local First Chicago boardmember.
But wait, Daley insists the deal is "a win situation for everyone": "To me, it's a win situation for everyone. Those who criticized it, made recommendations. They heard from them. They heard from everyone. But the big thing was people. People want jobs."
The proof is in the numbers. Did the West Site Wal-Mart store opened in 2006 bring more jobs and wealth to Chicago?
According to Al Norman's post published by the Huffington Post, a recent study from Loyola University and the University of Illinois at Chicago showed there is no evidence that the 2006 Wal-Mark improved economic activity or employment in the area, and what the "weight of evidence" shows is a break-even, a displacement of jobs in the small business sector which then get balanced by new Wal-Mart jobs.
The study, The Impact of an Urban Wal-Mart Store on Area Businesses: An Evaluation of One Chicago Neighborhood's Experience, found that Wal-Mart's opening in Chicago has produced a loss of 300 full-time jobs. Researchers concluded that the probability of a local retailer going out of business during the study period was significantly higher for establishments close to Wal-Mart's location. The loss of jobs in the trade areas near Wal-Mart just about balanced out any 'new' jobs attributable to Wal-Mart. "These estimates support the contention that urban Wal-Mart stores absorb retail sales from other city stores without significantly expanding the market," the researchers said.
"What we're seeing here is that placing a Wal-Mart in an urban setting is basically a 'wash' in terms of sales revenue for the city and jobs for local residents," explained study co-author David Merriman, head of UIC's economics department. "This means that communities around the city should not see Wal-Mart, and other big-box retailers, as a panacea to local economic struggles."
Overall, researchers concluded, "the weight of evidence suggests that the Wal-Mart opening on the West Side led to the displacement of a range of businesses. There is no evidence that Wal-Mart sparked any significant net growth in economic activity or employment in the area."
Here are 12 other studies showing the same effects.
I'm dying to hear - What do YOU think? Comment here or join the conversation on the Local First Chicago Facebook Page.
