Kara's Blog

Antoine Dodson, an Overnight Brand

Kara's Blog — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:05:00 GMT

Laugh if you want to, but where else, other than in America, could a news story become one of the most downloaded songs on the iTunes singles music chart while at the same time catapulting the interviewee into one of the hottest brands on the Internet?

Antoine Dodson, a young man living in a housing project in Huntsville, Ala., thwarted what would have been adevastating crime committed against his sister, when he stopped an intruder in his home from raping her. The crime, in and of itself was very serious, but what happened after the incident and with Antoine’s animated interview with WAFF in Huntsville, in any other day and time, would have not been taken seriously. But our day and time is unlike any other in our history when it comes to instant branding and notoriety. Admittedly, when I first saw the news report in a friend's Twitter feed, I had to write back and ask if the interview was a joke because I had never seen anyone act the way he did, but as I and others have discovered, the interview was legit and what happened next even more legitimate.

Auto-Tune the News, a company owned by the Gregory brothers out of Brooklyn, NY, is a company that has made the brothers famous from making music out of the news, saw Antoine’s animated rant in the Huntsville TV interview and decided to set it to music. “The Bed Intruder Song,” was the result. What is incredible to me is that after the song went viral, so did Antoine, making him an instant brand. At the end of August, the song hit number 37 on the iTunes Singles chart ahead of Lady Gaga, and with that position came the national news stories on The Today Show and a one-on-one interview with Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News.

The media correctly reporteed that the Gregory Brothers are giving 50 percent of the sales of the song to Antoine. And it has sold big. Some may argue that the Gregory Brothers were capitalizing on Antoine’s family and their tragedy, I could argue that with Antoine’s buy-in, they have made negative tragedy a positive and some good is coming out of it.

The song has been so popular that it hit Billboard’s Top 100 in late August and Antoine now has enough money to move his family to a safer neighborhood. Antoine also is capitalizing on his “new found” fame (and in my opinion rightfully so) through sales of t-shirts and other items on his website. His Facebook page has more than 186,000 fans and he tweets, which keeps him Top of Mind in my eyes. He’s doing what other celebrities, companies and organizations do; he has found a niche and is marketing it. Only time will tell if his "brand" will go beyond its 15 minutes. But for now, Antoine is doing what he needs to do to keep his brand alive. What likely was supposed to be a spoof by Auto-Tune the News continue to make big bucks for the Gregory Brother's company as well as for Antoine. Antoine’s popularity has grown to the point that he is getting invitations to entertainment awards shows.

What’s even more fascinating to me is how marketing and branding on the Internet has become that powerful. Most of us who are veterans in the PR field would like to think that social networking and social media are passing fads. In my personal opinion, they are not, but rather a sea change in the way PR practitioners market their clients. What use to take PR professionals years to accomplish in getting their clients noticed, can literally only take days or hours to accomplish if the messaging is appealing, catches on and goes viral. But finding the message that catches on is key. For now, it seems the Gregory Brothers have, leaving Antoine the one who’s laughing. Laughing all the way to the bank that is.

Editor’s note: And yes, I downloaded the song on iTunes. In case you haven't seen the song click below.

Out of The Darkness Into the Light - Article Reprint from B-Metro Magazine

Kara's Blog — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:06:52 GMT

Editor's Note: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Tahiera has chosen to shave her head in to bring awareness to Domestic Violence. I wrote this article in April as part of my Leading Women Blog for B-Metro Magazine.

If you knew that by attempting to take your own life, that you would be saving the lives of your children. Could you do it?

Tahiera Monique Brown did.

After two years of living as prisoners in their own home in Atlanta, Barbara Clark as she was called, attempted suicide to save her children from being sexually assaulted and abused by a stalker that decided one day after calculating her every move, that he would hold Tahiera and her children hostage and in plain sight.

He did so in front of her family and friends threatening to kill anyone who interfered. Even colleagues at work were intimidated to the point that they would not offer Tahiera any help. I wasn’t sure she would allow me to interview her about this ordeal, but she did. I have read her book Annihilator of Innocence, and I have to admit it was difficult for me to read about what happened to her during those two years.

I cannot even get my hands around it because it is so unimaginable to me that Tahiera went through what she did, let alone survived it. But she did and her children have too. Her stalker virtually had total physical and mental control over Tahiera and he was able to do so by constantly threatening to kill her, her children, her family and others she knew. He was behind bars, convicted of raping Tahiera’s daughter, but has been released. Taheira's fight is far from over. She now has embarked on a mission to help others who are survivors or who may suffer from domestic violence.

The defining moment for her after two years of horror, Tahiera told me was that she had to do something to save her children after the ‘Old Man’ told her that he was going to kill the children and bury them on the way to California. Somehow, she said knew that this time, he meant what he said. There was no turning back for her at this point so she made the decision to do what she had to do to save her children’s lives.

“The story of my journey: It isn't only about tragedy and pain ... it's not a catharsis or a healing ... it's about the triumph of my survival. As a survivor telling my story, it constantly puts salt in the wounds of the past. If I had died then others would try to reason my demise, by analyzing what made me choose my victimizer, instead of why did this victimizer choose this victim? After my victimizer was sentenced to prison for raping my daughter, I had to face the challenge to raise my children in a foreign land. You see the choice I took to save my children's lives left me in a coma and then amnesia. I had to relearn everything all over again, including my children, who were now strangers to me. We dealt with poverty and seeing our meager belongings put out on the side of the road to face homelessness. I have stood in the food stamp lines and the welfare lines, but I was not ashamed. I realized quickly that you had to arrive early to be in the number. Too late ... no help,” said Tahiera Monique Brown, author and lecturer.

I asked why she decided to tell her story and she said that she had lived in fear long enough. “One day I visited a priest at a convent and I asked God this question; "What am I supposed to do? God, I know you didn't save me for nothing ... help me Lord to go through this fear. Give me the courage to help others!" The priest answered to me; "Why not you! It is you ... now what are you going to do about it?"

What the priest told her she also remembered hearing before when she was struggling with what to do with her life after she got out of the hospital. She knew, she told me, deep down in her soul what she needed to do. She had to start sharing and enduring, and begin speaking as a survivor.

When she did start speaking she said she was mocked, criticized and loathed. Tahiera added, “I took my stripes and God brought into my life, people who needed to be a part of change, and they wanted to be loved and they loved me with no strings attached. These friends burned the midnight hours with me as I prepared for this journey. Even when it seemed like I was looking to do the impossible, they stood by to push me forward into my dream to be doing what I am doing today.”

Tahiera is a remarkable woman who often speaks about this journey as she calls it. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Prescott House, an organization that focuses on children who have been sexually and physically abused. She also supports the work of Alabama organizations and state lobbyists, who lobby for tougher laws against domestic violence. She also told me that she has signed an option agreement to make a movie about her life.

“My goal is to be able to reach out from beyond the darkness and share how I overcame victimization and became a survivor. I plan to increase my presence and the presence of others,” Tahiera stated.

At the close of our interview, I asked Tahiera for some words of advice and she had this to say: “Challenges are a part of life. Life is a privilege and you have to work at it. Don't be afraid of change and you will be able to walk away from pain and suffering. You are taught to always say yes, but learn the power of 'No'. Look your challenges square in the face and you will see that it is only there to stay if you are not willing to make a change. When I was about to be homeless for the third time ... I looked at the situation, not as a problem, but the beginning of a solution. I realized that I had to rethink poverty and why it was in my life. I believed that in spite of two heart broken children that had endured the unthinkable and a child with cerebral palsy, success was beckoning me.”

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines battery as a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person with whom an intimate relationship is or has been shared through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Battering happens when one person believes that they are entitled to control another.

In Alabama, SOAR and the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence are working hard to update and address some issues in the Protection From Abuse Act (PFA) which is a law that allows a victims to provide civil protection from her abuser and any violation would be a law enforcement intervention unlike a restraining order, as well as on another law that changes some of the domestic violence offenses to more stringent charges. These are SB 168 and SB 134. (Thank you to Lisa McNeil at the Alabama Coalition of Domestic Violence for providing the lobbying information to me for this article).

If you are a victim of domestic violence or feel you are being stalked please seek help now.

Agencies that can help:

SOAR (Survivors Overcoming Abusive Relationships)

Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence

For more information about Tahiera Monique Brown’s book: http://www.annihilatorofinnocence.com/

B-Metro: www.b-metro.com

Finding Comfort: A Visit to Ground Zero

Kara's Blog — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:43:54 GMT

Photo by Kara Kennedy

Overcome with emotion, that's how I felt when I finally made it to see Ground Zero last October on a weekend girls' trip to New York City. All of my September 11 experience was in Washington, DC working for the American Red Cross National Headquarters, although I was asked on several occasions by the head of the Disaster Relief Public Affairs if I would go to New York to work in Public Affairs, I never had the opportunity. The events in DC were just too overwhelming. It wasn't until last October, after DC and my job at the Red Cross were only memories, did I finally make it to see where the Twin Towers had been. We walked from the Staten Island Ferry to Ground Zero and as we arrived at the site, I could feel the anxiety building up inside. To some degree the area was still deserted and some of the office buildings were empty. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I wanted to see the site. For about 15 minutes I stood staring at the fencing around the area with a photo attached that showed the memorial plans for the site. On the crane at the construction site was an American Flag flapping in the wind. Another reminder for me that we live in a free country. A few hours earlier, I got to see the Statute of Liberty from the deck of the ferry.

We turned down a side street to walk away from Ground Zero, and as we walked I looked up and noticed the scorched apartment building that also was unoccupied. I couldn't have imagined living in that building. Running through my mind were thoughts about who may have been at home at the time and how horrified the person must have been to be an eye-witness to what was going on across the street. Especially when it came to light that the attacks were not an accident, as many suspected early on when the first plane hit the first tower.

As we continued to walk, we walked toward Trinity Wall Street (St. Paul's Chapel) Episcopal Church, which I discovered served as the place of solace for the first responders, volunteers and others who worked the disaster site. Trinity sits directly across from Ground Zero, and but for debris in the courtyard, the church had no damage from the terrorist attack, fires or collapse of the towers. We went into the church. I could not believe what I saw as we entered the door. Gifts, cards letters, photos, stuff animals, rosaries, crosses, bibles that Trinity had received from all over the world were in kiosk-type stations all over the sanctuary of the church and in the pews. Trinity has become a museum, memorial of sorts for victims, survivors and first responders. As I strolled through the mementos, emotion began to overcome me. Memories of being in DC and in working for the American Red Cross and that day all came rushing back to me all at once. I couldn't contain the tears. I couldn't contain the emotion, and there was more and more of it as I walked around the church. I ended up going outside the church to try to compose myself. There in the outside entry way were photos and historical markers that chronicled the events of September 11 as well as the days and weeks after and the role that Trinity played in relief and recovery. Working for the Red Cross you're trained to deal with almost any situation to best of your ability. And I know those in the Red Cross office in New York faced an enormous task after 9-11. I know also that they worked tirelessly to help the victims and their families. The events alone in Washington were overwhelming enough for those of us there, but I truly did not grapse the enormity of the disaster relief effort in New York until my visit to Ground Zero and Trinity Church eight years later.

September 11 changed America forever. It changed the lives of its victims and their families forever. It changed the lives of those who survived forever. And for the most part it changed me forever. The day was surreal, chaotic, scary and emotional, but all of those adjectives mean nothing now that I've walked through the sanctuary of Trinity. Compassion, comfort, love, dedication, humanitarianism, fellowship and volunteerism are the words I use to describe the many volunteers (Red Crossers too), first responders, police officers, firemen, priests, doctors, nurses, dogs that helped the victims, families, survivors and people of the great City of New York on and after that fateful day.

Never Forget.

Audacity of It All: BP and the Media

Kara's Blog — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:49:00 GMT

As I watch the events of the last few weeks unfold from BP's disaster with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, I can't help but notice the sheer audacity of it all as it relates to the spokespersons for BP. They are cavalier at best. The lack of compassion and care for what this man-made disaster has done to a region that just five short years ago was devastated to the point that it still has not recovered, is truly beyond my comprehension. I am not sure why it is not getting through to BP representatives that New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region are a major hub for commerce. Or maybe it is getting through, but the BP executives are still holding a grudge because the British were defeated in the War of 1812.

If I stop and really think about my courses in college in PR 101 or media relations 101, I believe I am correct when I say that all PR spokesmen should state the facts and tell the truth. Neither of which I have seen when BP executives are in front of the camera. As a CEO of a multi-billion dollar oil company, Tony Hayward had the audacity to say early on that "in the grand scheme of things this oil spill is small compared to the vast ocean." (paraphrased), and just last week announced with cameras rolling that he "would like his life back." My question is where does he get the gumption to make such statements. If I had been his PR person (I am glad I am not) I definitely would have stripped him of his spokesperson duties, after the first statement he made. But now, with "I want my life back" statement, I would definitely have to take steps to have him removed as CEO. Nothing he has said has helped him or his company. If he wanted his life back so badly, why didn't he do the right thing from the beginning and maybe this disaster would not have happened. Could it be greed?

I am sure that the people of Louisiana want their lives back too, especially when they haven't had normal lives since 2005.

As if all of this is not enough, I heard today that another BP official made this statement: "Louisiana is not the only place that has shrimp." Ok, maybe not, but they are the only place that provides a majority of the seafood to the United States. And they are the only place with a tradition and history that are so deep and rich; and which has been handed down for centuries. I guarantee this history will exist long after BP as a corporation is a faded memory.

I say to BP: Shut Up. Gather all the world's experts and bring them to Louisiana. Find a solution and make it work. After all is said and done, APOLOGIZE to the people of Louisiana, the Gulf Coast and the United States. Do what you can to help the eco-system recover. Help the displaced fishermen and workers.

Then in the end, study the rich cultural history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. So you can find out why this area and its people matter.

The audacity of it all.

New: Leading Women Blog at B-Metro Magazine

Kara's Blog — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:47:00 GMT

Recently, I began writing a blog on Leading Women for B-Metro Magazine, a magazine about Birmingham Metro Living. The blog will focus on Alabama women doing extraordinary things in business and in life. From time-to-time I will tackle women's issues that may be difficult to discuss, nevertheless, too important not to discuss.

I am grateful to the B-Metro Magazine staff for this opportunity.

B-Metro

What is Birmingham to Do Now?

Kara's Blog — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:46:00 GMT

Now that the election of Birmingham, Alabama's fourth Mayor in three months is over, I have to now question, What is Birmingham to Do Now?

The local government in Birmingham is in bad need of leadership. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but with the corruption, conviction and complacency of the last three years, how else can I be? I was born and raised in Birmingham, and I have a lived a majority of my life here, but my disappointment in the City's electorate goes deep, and for the most part, I throw up my hands. I don't really know what we can do to get rid of the three "C's" as I see it. My only thoughts are of a City with so much potential and trying to find reasons why we will always be a city with so much potential.

The bright sides of the Birmingham region are there and they are key, but the universal perception is that all those regions make up Birmingham, well at least to the national news media that's the way it is seen. It's hard for me to understand why people can't grasp the concept of what happens in the city center proper does have affect on all of the cities surrounding the center.

I attended the State of the City Address in the City of Fultondale this morning. Fultondale is a City just north of the city center. As I listened to all of the accomplishments of 2009 and the plans for 2010 that the Mayor, City Council and Chamber outlined, a thoughts occurred to me: how can a city just outside of Birmingham be so organized and prepared for growth? What if anything can be done to replicate the same positive growth in the City Center?

The solution in my opinion could just be the formation of a Council of Mayors.

Birmingham, Jefferson County, the cities in Jefferson County and the surrounding counties (Blount, St. Clair, Walker and Shelby) could come together and form a North Central Alabama Council of Mayors to operate as one body for the betterment of the area. The City and County governments could all maintain their independence as governments, but they would come together to work on big projects, make regional decisions and to solve bigger problems in the region as a whole. I envision the Council would take on any project or problem no matter where the project or problem originated from. The Council would elect an Executive Committee to include a Chair and Vice Chair to oversee the council as a whole. In my opinion a Council like this would be a guarantee that the Birmingham region would grow and prosper. The Council may also ensure the transparency that is desperately needed in government today. Funding of the organization, I am sure, would be the first topic of conversation in the formation of the Council. As I see it, the way to fund this type of Council is through grants, private donations, corporate donations and membership fees from each of the governments. A nonprofit corporation status, bylaws and the executive committee, could be assurances to preventing power struggles.

But of course the formation of a Council of Mayors takes a huge commitment and it requires buy-in from all of the governments in and around Birmingham.

The questions now is: Would the governments in and around Birmingham be willing to make a commitment to a concept like this? Oh how I wish they would.

Helping Haiti Out of Compassion and Love

Kara's Blog — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:41:00 GMT

The disaster in Haiti is beyond tragic. It in my mind it ranks right up there with some of the major disasters of the last decade. There is so much death and destruction in a country that had minimal infrastructure at best; it is utterly a shocking, heart-wrenching scene, and I have only seen the television reports and images. I can barely look at the images from Haiti and the stories of no medical care available or basic necessities is heart-breaking. I immediately sent money to a couple organizations by texting with my cell phone. It was a no brainer for me.

My desire to help those who are hurting comes naturally, always has. But I have to say in this forum here, that I am angry and appalled by what has been said during the last few days by those who have been given a microphone and air time to say whatever they feel, whenever they feel. I'd like to think that these so called broadcast celebrities have said these things without thinking, but the sad part is that they have said similar things before.

Since when does love and compassion for another human life and the desire to help warrant being politicized?

I hate the rush to judgment of a people that these broadcast celebrities have. They have stooped so low and have called the people of Haiti evil. They even said that the Haitians deserved what they got. My questions to these broadcast celebrities are: do they even know the people of Haiti? Have they ever walked in the Haitian people's shoes? Of course not, all they think about are ratings for their show and politicizing all facets of life. They are selfish and shameless.

How can you call a child pinned under rubble, who is still alive, calling for help an evil person? Or people wailing and crying from injuries they sustained in the disaster, but who are waiting patiently for help to arrive? All of these people are evil and deserve what they have suffered? I THINK NOT. I do hope that the networks, sponsors and people who keep listening to these broadcast celebrities' garbage give them what they deserve and take them off the air. I am not sure what cloth these broadcast celebrities are cut from, but I have to question if they are even human.

People are hurt, they are dying and they have no basic needs. The people of Haiti need our love and compassion, not our judgment or criticism.

To Donate to the American Red Cross: Text "haiti" to 90999 on your cell phone

OR Donate Below to Oxfam by clicking the ad.

Photo: Associated Press A 14-year old girl wails after finding out that her brother was killed at school.

Thanksgiving

Kara's Blog — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:03:00 GMT

President Lincoln first declared Thanksgiving an official national holiday back in 1863, and since that time we have celebrated the settlement of Plymouth in 1621 and the Pilgrims gathering with the Native Americans for a feast and Thanksgiving.

When we think about the centuries that have passed since, we have to also stop and give thanks and gratitude for what we have, and we do have a lot to be grateful for. No matter how hard times get, we all can point to something that we are grateful for.

I am grateful for:

Living in a nation where I have the right to enjoy many freedoms.

The right to vote.

Having the opportunity to pursue my dreams.

My loving, caring family, whom I can turn to in times of need and they can turn to me in their times of need.

The many friends who are caring and loving.

Being given the chance to have a career I enjoy.

The opportunity to learn from my colleagues and from others.

Having the opportunity to help and give to others.

Having the opportunity to make a difference in some small way in others lives.

Having plenty to eat. So many in our nation and world suffer from hunger.

These are just a few of the things I am thankful for. I also hope you take the time to reflect on what you're grateful for this season.

Wishing you love, peace and joy this Thanksgiving Day.

The Impact of September 11

Kara's Blog — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Eight years ago as I sat at my desk at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross watching live television news coverageof the twin towers being hit by airplanes and then crumble to the ground in New York. Little did I know that in a few short minutes later another plane would crash into the Pentagon just across the Potomac. It’s the aftermath of 9/11 I want to concentrate on now. We all as a nation were shocked beyond belief that such a horrific event would happen in our day and time. But what came after the attack was truly extraordinary by anyone’s account.

After the attack you had scores of people donating money to help the victims and their families, billions of dollars were given. People came out in droves to donate blood, lining up around the corner of the Red Cross offices in DC and at offices all around the country. People were more somber, friendly, empathic, and sympathetic to each other and the first responders were hailed heroes.

We came together as a nation to fight those who attacked us so viciously and to help those in need. We respected each other. We were united. I wonder now as we reflect on the eighth anniversary of theseattacks, where has all of unity and respect have gone.

Since 9/11 we have seen devastation with disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since 9/11 we have seen a financial crisis and since 9/11 we have seen a historic election. But also since 9/11 wehave seen a nation further divided politically to the point that disrespect is now the norm. Instead of finding ways to work together, there seems to be those who want to further divide us. We see volatile language, violent threats against those who don’t always agree with another’s point of view. I ask for what reason?

The lessons of 9/11 are that people can be compassionate,considerate, helpful, serving, sympathetic and empathic towards those who are the same, different than you or I. If nothing else, we should at least remember the cardinal rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

We should not let the lessons of that day fade over the horizon with each passing year. Instead, we should be coming together as a nation just like we did on September 12, 2001 and find ways to work together for the betterment of our nation and its people, so that those who lost their life that day did not do so in vain.

“Life is very short and there is no time for fussing and fighting my friend. We can work it out.”~TheBeatles.

When Are We Going to Get It Together?

Kara's Blog — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:41:00 GMT

Shear embarrassment is the way I feel. It's the way most of my colleagues and friends feel. In fact there is a faction of people who are considering leaving Jefferson County and the State of Alabama for good. We are embarrassed by the financial woes of Jefferson County, in Birmingham, Ala., my home town. The County has been battling for two years, the a mountain of debt ($4 billion) with a sewer crisis, which has placed the county in jeopardy of going bankrupt. The sewer debt crisis came about after the County Commission's president, Larry Langford, headed efforts in a risky interest rate bond swap deal to lower interest rates. Larry Langford is now the Mayor of Birmingham. This story has attracted national and international attention in the media circles. A friend of mine at an International news agency has written about the sewer debt problems many times over the last two years.

Now as of 5 o'clock Friday, July 31, 2009, the county has down and placing workers it can't pay on furlough for six weeks. This story too has hit national news, yesterday's The New York Timesand NPR last (a week ago) Thursday. The street story, and pretty much the truth is that the furloughs stem from Jefferson County not being able to use the Occupational Taxes that it has collected for 10 years, and up until January was using as part of the operations budget. In January, a judge ruled that the collection of an occupational tax from individual workers and businesses was illegal, but that the County could still collect the tax, but not spend any of the money. This ruling stripped the county of $78 million it was using to operate.

Now for the real story: I keep scratching my head in disbelief of how we the largest and most promising county in Alabama could be in this mess? The only reason is the complacency of voters. It seems with Jefferson County, the Mayor and City Council, there is never really a problem with the people we the voters have elected until there's a problem. AND boy we have a huge problem; one that we may not be able to overcome. As a thriving City and County, we are now in essence, dead in our tracks. It all boils down to the fact that we keep electing the same-ole-same-ole people to office who have developed egos the size of the universe, because we the electorate don't care or we won't take a risk on change- electing someone who is fresh and new. Most if not all of the candidates we have elected, have been given power by default in my opinion. By default meaning that there is no other candidate to choose from and we are faced with either not voting or voting by default. I also need to note that we do not have term limits in these elections. Because we keep electing these same people over and over, they have drank from the glass of Power and they love it.

I call it perceived power.

Perceived Power is very deadly from where I sit. Most people, when they drink from the fountain of power, would rather go down in burning flames than give up any power that they think that they have. AND we, the electorate lead them to believe that "they" have the power. Deadly, because now instead of doing the right thing for the citizens of the county, they do what's best for themselves, leaving people who desperately need services high and dry. True the county doesn't have home rule, and the Alabama Legislature has to help solve this problem, but instead of the two, county and legislative delegation coming together to work it out for the citizens, they have decided to point fingers at each other. This week the Legislative delegation came up with a compromise of sorts with a new occupational tax bill, but I don't think everyone's sold on it because it only serves as a temporary solution to a bigger problem.

A bigger problem that we the citizens are going to have to eventually solve. We can't keep brushing these problems under the carpet and expect them to go away. We are going to have to come together to solve this. The citizens and voters of Jefferson County are really the ones who have the POWER to make a change, and for the life of me I cannot understand why we the citizens don't use this power- Power at the Polls. We have to get our ACT together and put Jefferson County back on track. I only hope that for our sake we do it and do it soon, before it's too late.

Most Disgusting

Kara's Blog — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:15:00 GMT

You see everything on Twitter, every sort of comment, both negative and positive. As a regular consumer of the social networking site, I couldn't help but notice someone's tweet, where they said that they thought that Alabama was the most disgusting state in the Union. I had to stop and think, did I just really see that flash on Twitterverse? And why would someone think that Alabama was the most disgusting state in the Union?

As an Alabama native, I can rightly admit that Alabama has had its ups and downs, and depending on where you live in the state, still does, but to me Alabama is far from the most disgusting state in the Union.

MOST DISGUSTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In the early '90's (D)Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr., successfully recruited the Mercedes USA International manufacturing plant to the state, this one economic development coup, set the stage for many more foreign investments in the late 20th Century and early to mid 21st Century with names such as Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Thyssenkrupp and Northrop Grumman. Alabama has made a 360 degree turn-around in economic development over the years. Most of the latter companies were recruited by (R) Gov. Bob Riley's economic development team. Just last week it was announced that Alabama is poised to acquire an electric car manufacturing plant.

Alabama's economic development strategy has played a role in the research and development of alternative fuels in the area of biofuels. Gov. Riley and Amyris announced plans to build a test site in South Alabama to grow biofuel for jet fuel. And in North Alabama, a Canadian company announced it was building a rail-car manufacturing plant a couple of years ago for the Shoals (North West) area of Alabama bringing 1800 jobs to the area. Then just this week Norfolk Southern announced that it was building a $112 million terminal in Jefferson County. The Aerospace industry and space industry in Huntsville holds its own with other parts of country. Mobile has become one of the most active port cities in the nation and the area scored a huge economic boost with the announcement of ThyssenKrupp in 2007. Birmingham and UAB are known for health research. Alabama has consistently ranked in the top 10 in economic development in the last three years. So I am grappling with the term, the most disgusting state.

MOST DISGUSTING TOURISM

Obviously when this person tweeted Alabama was the most disgusting state, he/she probably really has never visited the state. Alabama has something for everyone. Mountains to the North and white sandy beaches to the South. I have many childhood memories of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Look-Out Mountain, Lake Guntersville Park and skiing the lake at my grandparents in Blount County, near the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains. There's the USS Alabama Battleship in Mobile, the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham and the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. We also have the most unusual of tourist events, like the Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou La Batre and the Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp.

MOST DISGUSTING FAMOUS PEOPLE:

And then there's the famous people from Alabama: Hank Aaron, Jimmy Buffett, Rick Bragg, Bo Bice, Bobby Bowden, Hugo Black, Rosa Parks, Courtney Cox, Kate Jackson, Percy Sledge, Jesse Owens, Nat King Cole, Condoleezza Rice, Fannie Flagg, Lionel Richie, Tom Joyner, The Commodores, Alabama, Tammy Wynette, Lionel Hampton, WC Handy, Emmylou Harris, Polly Holliday, Taylor Hicks, Helen Keller, Eddie Kendricks, Harper Lee, Willie Mays, Shelby Lynne, Wilson Pickett, Truman Capote, Corretta Scott King, Michael Jackson's mother Katherine, Ruben Studdard and Hank Williams to name a few.

I am still looking for what classifies Alabama as the most disgusting state. I just don't see it. Every state has it warts, but as a colleague of mine said to me, I wouldn't classify any of the states as disgusting. All 50 have their unique qualities, some more unique than others, but definitely not disgusting. So, I invite the person in Twitterverse to visit Alabama so that I can happily show him or her the most disgusting state, Alabama.

Editor's Note, President Obama announced his pick for Surgeon General today, Dr. Regina Benjamin. Guess What? She's from the most disgusting state too!

This blog also appears on blog:http://www.theworldaroundyou.com/

Forever New Orleans

Kara's Blog — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:43:00 GMT

In March, I planned a girl's trip to New Orleans for May, as a mini celebration for my birthday. This would be the first time that I had visited the city in a very long time. Maybe 10 years. I decided to fly to New Orleans because the flights were so cheap on Southwest. Our trip was Memorial Day Weekend. Wonderful flight in. Driving in the cab, I personally couldn't see the remnants of Hurricane Katrina, but I am sure they were there. At this time I was only focused on having fun-filled touristy-type vacation and enjoying the City. The weekend was fun, we ended up doing some of the touristy things that I hadn't done before like the Haunted History tour. But all weekend in the back of my mind were thoughts about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of a City that up until 2001, I had visited every year. There were signs in the Quarter of the economic damage of the storm. Restaurants and businesses closed never to re-open. But there also were signs at least in the Quarter, of some construction. I was amazed though, at the emptiness. There was nowhere near the number of people that I expected to see in New Orleans. Katrina. On the last day of my trip I took the Canal Street street car to the Greenwood Cemetery. You can learn a lot of history in a cemetery. As the street car made its way to end of the line, I saw the Katrina Memorial out of the window. I got off the car and walked back to the Memorial. The whole weekend it seemed to me that subliminally what had happened when Hurricane Katrina was there all around, in some little way or memory. In all of the shops, there was a pictorial book about the storm conveniently placed. I picked one up and flipped through it, the photos of the aftermath were horrendous, I don't see how anyone could have survived the storm. I saw plenty of damage from disasters when I worked for the American Red Cross, but nothing like what was in those pictures. Nothing.

I took a cab back to the airport. When I got into the cab, my cab driver began to tell me about how he has been affected by Katrina. He and his wife he said, were so disappointed in his son who had began running with the wrong crowd after Katrina. His son made bad choices and now was paying for it in jail. Guns, my cab driver said, were made easily made available. "If only our son had made a different choice," he said. I told him that he couldn't blame himself for the choices that his son had made. It was sad. The conversation turned to the recovery effort and Lower Ninth Ward. I asked exactly where was the area, and he said that it was five or six miles directly behind us, in the other direction. Beyond the Quarter. My cab driver told me that his mother lived there. The Lower Ninth was one of the places hardest hit by the storm. I asked how the recovery was coming and he said, "not as should be, too many people are still living in tents and FEMA trailers on their property. Because the are afraid that someone was going to take their land." I had to ask why they re-elected Mayor Nagin after he botched the whole evacuation and recovery efforts, and he told me that it was because at the time Nagin was the only one campaigning on the promise that he would re-build their homes and City. A promise that clearly to a certain extent had not been fulfilled. Nor does it really look like it is going to be fulfilled. That's my opinion.

He told me the story of Fats Domino and how he was one of the victims of the storm, trapped in his house, trapped in the water. He went on to say that Fats Domino's gold records and pianos had been damaged by the water. Tipitina's a club, Fats played in before Katrina, had the records and pianos sent to a company to have them restored. But there was more damage than that to Fats Domino, because he now has so many health problems that he couldn't tour anymore. My cab driver said it was because he was in the water so long before being rescued. Incidentally, the weekend after my trip, a tribute concert was being held for Fats Domino in order to help raise funds for New Orleans children, for schools and parks. As we approached the airport, I asked what were the celebrities really doing to help the effort, and he said that Harry Connick, Jr. had done a lot to help the musicians of New Orleans, with the building of the Habitat community, the Musicians Village. The rumor around New Orleans was that all of the musicians had moved out and now the clubs in the Quarter were overrun with non-traditional music. The hope is that all of the musicians will return to New Orleans to re-ignite the music industry there. Brad and Angelina also he said, had done a lot for the Lower Ninth Ward with their foundation, Make It Right. He said that they truly did help in the neighborhood. I said that was good to know. You hope the stories you see on television are true about their help with the recovery, but you really don't know the truth. The locals do know though. I was thrilled to hear that the commitments from the celebrities were genuine.

I remember watching the devastation from my apartment in Washington, D.C. It was horrific. New Orleans looked like a Third World Country, at least on TV. I couldn't help but watch the minute to minute coverage, ever since 9-11, 24 hour news coverage was a given. Being a former Red Crosser, it was hard for me to believe that what I was seeing unfold on television was really going on. Was there really no plan for evacuation? How could the instructions given be so wrong? Why wasn't the City ready for the disaster? After all, isn't this what all the disaster planning was for? And how could the Mayor and Governor not be prepared? These are questions I still ask to this day.

Needless to say, my cab driver made an impact on me. His story was the story I tried to avoid all weekend. But I couldn't. Some of the things that I remembered from my previous visits to New Orleans were now just memories. Things have changed there. I told the driver to just know that regular people like me were thinking about those in New Orleans. His story made me very emotional. He pulled up to the curb of Southwest and I got out, he placed my suitcase on the curb. He hugged me and said "thank you."

His story, made me want to stay and tour the Lower Ninth to see where the residents needed help. Since being back home, I have been thinking of ways to help New Orleans. I am of the opinion that we just can't as a nation let this City die. The culture, history, art and the birth place of Jazz are all important to save. Those things are too important to our history not to. I am of the opinion that those of us who can (Americans) should do what we can to save the City. The impact of not saving New Orleans will be graver especially to our economy and to future generations. I personally am going to do what I can to help rebuild the City. I plan to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity or some other organization that is working to rebuild neighborhoods. I also plan to donate money and to keep the focus on the need of those affected by the storm. We have always overcome disasters in the nation, from Pearl Harbor, the great Depression, Oklahoma CIty and 9-11. I know we also can overcome Katrina. Our resilience is proof of the fact.

Forever New Orleans.

To help with the Katrina recovery:

Habitat For Humanity New Orleans

Make it Right Foundation

New Orleans Healing Center

Domino Effect

Operation Kids New Orleans

Social Media: Can it really help sell my brand?

Kara's Blog — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:09:00 GMT

I tried very hard to remain resistant to Twitter. With my e-mail box already overflowing with more e-mail than I could ever possibly answer, I could not bring myself to tweet. Anyway, what is tweeting? Every time I even hear that word, my mind wanders back to childhood and my musical obsession, the Jackson 5. Then all at once I hear: he rocks in the tree-top all day long, rockin and a boppin and singing his song, all the little birdies and the jay bird sings love to hear the robin go tweet...tweet...tweet.

I have succumbed, I am now a tweeter.

Really, how can tweeter or for that matter any social media, networking site help your business? The key, at least with, Twitter, is that it opens you and your company up to a whole bigger network of people, who may some day use your services. Twitter, is worldwide and virtually anyone can follow your "tweets" is you allow them. A lawyer friend of mine recently told me that he has had referrals of business through social networking. Facebook and Twitter are the two he mostly uses. More and more companies are stepping up to the plate when it comes to using social media as a marketing tool. Mars Snackfood's Skittles division earlier this month launched a marketing campaign embracing social media, and according, to the Wall Street Journal, the Skittles brand is the first brand to use social media to the degree that they are using it. As a result, Skittles was the most tweeted word on Twitter on March 2, leading the company to post some of the tweeted messages on their newly designed Web site Homepage. Skittles' objective with social networking the article goes on to site, is to capture and engage the teen audience. These days, social media is the chosen marketing medium to use when trying to reach the 18-25 age group with a message or brand. Most brands don't dare go so far, says Charlene Li, founder of digital-media consulting firm Altimeter Group. They are getting so much buzz on it, it is unbelievable. They are showing people, this is redefining the way you think about brands. The brand also has allowed consumers to use Wikipedia to write comments about the candy. While some applaud Skittles for going the social media route, others are not so sure the brand has made the right move with its marketing strategy. Some experts feel, according, to the article that Skittles have opened themselves up to negative postings and comments by consumers, however, they do agree that the social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are spreading the globe like a fire storm.

I on the other hand, believe that the potential for any negative risk is worth it. Ford Motor Company recently used Twitter to avert a potential crisis communications problem when only part of the story was being tweeted by non-supporters. Because Ford's PR person was on Twitter, he was able to head-off any potential severe damage and set the story straight. It may have taken Ford Motor company weeks even to find out about the problem consumers had and months to years to overcome any fallout from the negative consumer comments, if they had not been on Twitter. If you need to be convinced further, think about this, the breaking news of the US Airways plane landing in the Hudson came from Twitter not a traditional news outlet.

Is social media/networking a fad? Maybe. And maybe not. One thing for sure, these sites more and more are becoming an influence with consumers and possibly they are influencing what consumers are buying and talking about. Many companies are becoming social media believers, and they should, for now anyway. These companies have decided, just like me, if you can't beat them, join them!

By the way click the logo if you are so inclined

Keeping it Going: Marketing in a Down Economy

Kara's Blog — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:29:00 GMT

In case you've haven't notice, we simply cannot get away from discussions about the economy and the toll it is taking on everyone's work, life and future. I recently spoke to a group of communicators in Washington, D.C. about how to keep their PR and marketing strategies going in this economic climate. It has caused many of us to re-evaluate our strategy as well as our budget. In fact, according to the Association of National Advertisers, 53 percent of those working in public relations, marketing or advertising, expected their budgets to be cut. Of that number 27% thought their budgets would be cut by 11-20 %, at least.

It seems that traditional advertising budgets would be slashed by as much as 59%. While on the other hand, online marketing would increase by 63%. If your organization is faced with making cuts in the marketing budget, what can you do to help keep your brand top of mind?

First, Get Back to the Basics:

Conduct a SWOT Analysis of your organization. Analyze your organizations Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Identify again what your mission is and are you being true to it. Don't try to be all things to all people. In addition be choosy about where you spend the little advertising dollars you have. Negotiate with your ad representatives for a better price.

Second, Engage Your Customers or Constituency:

Examine which customers are loyal supporters and communicate with them. It is imperative that you keep the lines of communication open between you and your supporters. Shift from acquisition to retention in your thinking. When all is said and done, your loyal constituents will be there. Maintaining and cultivating relationships are key to weathering this economic storm. On another note, you also need to cultivate your relationships with the media.

Third, Stay Above 30,000 feet:

View the economic downturn from above. Try not to panic. Be upfront, be honest, be smart and innovative in your marketing strategy and with all of your constituents. Transparency is not just a word, it's a way of life in today's marketplace- for a very good reason. The climate for better or worse is forcing people to connect or re-connect with their constituency on a personal level. Your organizational tone needs to relate what your customers are going through in their life. You need to become human with your marketing. Take for example the Hyundai Assurance Program. Hyundai took a risk which has turned out to be a very good one. You've heard their ad, the Hyundai Assurance Program offers customers an opportunity to give their car back after a year if they lose their job, can't find a job or make payments with no obligation or penalty. This program has increased Hyundai's sales by 14.3% since it began. Hyundai made a connection to customers that has paid off for them. Their program is innovative and creative. It has set them apart from other automobile manufacturers.

Fourth, Go Social Online:

Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, e-mail marketing and online advertising are all cheaper ways to go with your marketing strategy. If you're hesitant about taking it online, then I will give you this food-for-thought: The Obama for America Campaign In a recent case study outlined on Marketing Profs (an online marketing resource), it was concluded that President Obama's digital media strategy, turned ordinary citizens into campaign evangelists to win the election. Jalali Hartman of Yovia.com was quoted in the case study about the campaign's marketing strategy. He said The Obama campaign did naturally what every good marketer should do in this new economy. Rather than focusing on acquisition, as most marketers tend to do, the campaign had a three-pronged approach: acquisition, activation, advocacy. He goes on to conclude: The campaign was not successful because it got a lot of people out to vote. It was successful because it got a lot of people out getting others to vote. The campaign was less about policy and more about 'Hope and Change' - terms people interpreted in their own personal way. As I said before, the Obama campaign got on a personal level with people and related to what they were feeling and going through.

To summarize, you need a good PR person getting out there talking about you and your brand in order to keep your organization in the minds of others. If you don't have a PR person, then do it yourself.

Re-examine who you are. Conduct a SWOT analysis
Make the necessary changes to improve your organization
Continue to build your relationships with your constituents
Buy advertising strategically, negotiate
Make PR opportunities happen
Tell your story and tell it everyday
Become an expert in your field for the media
Go Social, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, E-mail marketing
Update your Web site
Be transparent

If you can, look at this downturn in the economy as an opportunity. Hang in there! You can weather this storm!

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity~Albert Einstein

Remembering the Past

Kara's Blog — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:38:00 GMT

Alabama has a way of finding itself in the national spotlight because of politics. This seems to be a trend in some respects. If someone asked me to point to something in my life that transformed me, I would pinpoint without a doubt to the introduction to politics. I began my passion for politics in high school when I enrolled in advanced AP political science class. My political science teacher was the one that everyone in my school tried to avoid. Her reputation preceded her. She was known to be difficult, so difficult in fact, that most of her students barely passed. I tried to keep an opened mind and cast my own judgment on this teacher, but I found my first day of class dreading it with trepidation. After a few weeks, I learned to love it because it opened the door for me to the world of politics. We were required to work in a political campaign, and the campaign I chose was George McMillan's bid for Governor in 1982. My campaign work at that time consisted of envelope stuffing and general office work. The sort of work that had to be done and which was perfect for a high school student. After my work in that campaign, I fell in love with the art form known as politics. I served as a Page in the Alabama Legislature at some point. I pursued a double major in college, Political Science and Communications. Politics became part of how I identified myself then and for the most part now. I was certain that I would have a life-long career in politics. My certainty turned to doubt years later.

The year 1986 turned out to be a pivotable year in politics in Alabama. On the Democratic side, Charles Graddick and Bill Baxley found themselves in a runoff after the primary. In the runoff Graddick won by a few thousand votes, but the Democratic Party disqualified him because of rule violations when he encouraged Republican voters to cross over party lines to vote Democratic. They all ended up in Court and the court told the Party to hold another election or make Baxley the candidate. The Party decided to make Baxley the candidate. Voters retaliated and voted for Guy Hunt the first Republican Governor elected in the state in 112 years. Up until 1986, Alabama had been a single Party state.

Most Democrats at the time thought Hunt's win was a fluke and when the 1990 Gubernatorial race rolled around they were certain that their party would be back in power come Inauguration Day. I worked as a volunteer for the 1990 Hunt re-election campaign. I cannot remember how or when I got started with the campaign. My job was to help the Press Secretary. I was working at the time and would leave at the end of the day to give a few hours to the campaign. Because the campaign was coming down to the wire and was not going to be a cake-walk, the campaign offered me a full time position a few weeks before the election. I took a chance and decided to quit my job and work with the campaign. I had no real clue that Hunt would win a second term, but there was something about him and the people I worked with in the campaign that made me think that he would win a second term in office. We all worked hard and long hours. Our work paid off. Hunt was re-elected.

The election it turns out was a small battle, what none of us in the campaign knew was that the real war was just beginning. With Hunt's re-election it was proven once and for all that Alabama had become a two-party state. The Democratic Party which had been in power for more than a hundred years, was not at all happy. I was offered a job with the Administration and began what I thought was a four-year journey to change Alabama for the better and to work for a Governor who had changed Alabama politics, maybe forever.

In April of 1993, whatever change I had become a part of for the betterment of the people of Alabama, it all came crashing down with one hit of the judge's gavel when Governor Hunt was convicted for Ethics violations for using 1987 Inaugural funds for personal use. The dollar amount, $200,000 was what was in question. Governor Hunt was now a convicted felon and felons could not hold office in Alabama. The Governor was forced to resign. Clearly this was an error in judgment, and not intentional. Power or loss thereof, is a powerful motivator when it comes to governing. Those of us who worked in the Administration were shocked with disbelief that the Governor was convicted. With the conviction came one of the most dismal times in my life and career. The morning after the conviction, I went to the office as usual, but shortly after I arrived, I was told to get my personal items and leave the office. My job no longer existed.

What happened afterwards is like a dream to me. When you are faced with a life-changing event of this nature, you go through a number of emotions all at once, from anger, to doubt, to unworthiness, to fear. I felt all of these emotions and much more. I knew in my heart of hearts, that the Governor was innocent. Because of how the whole event came to pass and the nature of things that happened to my friends in the Administration, I chose not to work in politics again. However, once I had time to think, I changed my mind. I would not work in politics as an employee again until 2001, when I worked in Government Affairs at the national level for a nonprofit agency.

Governor Hunt for years fought to clear his name. Finally in 1998, Governor Hunt received a full pardon. Governor Hunt tried unsuccessfully another run for Governor in 1998. The conviction had definitely taken a toll on him as well as on his family. I guess it had taken a toll with the voters as well.

Last Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, Governor Hunt died. He had been battling lung cancer. Wednesday of this week, I along, with others from his Administration and campaign, attended his funeral. Seeing everyone brought back many memories of those campaign days. Those were happy days. We all had a goal to accomplish and we did. I also remembered the great work that we had begun during the Governor's second term. The day also was bittersweet. Many in the room and those who spoke at his Memorial Service all praised Governor Hunt for his service and for what he did to change Alabama politics. Comments all well-deserved.

As I sat in my chair listening to person after person speak about the Governor's legacy, I could not help but say to the Governor silently, thank you. Thank you Governor Hunt and I want you to know that I am forever grateful to you for giving me the opportunity, if only for a short period of time, to work to improve the lives of the people of Alabama in an Administration I was proud to be a part of.

Influenced by the Influencer

Kara's Blog — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:52:00 GMT

It always amazes me how as a kid growing up, we never realize the strength and influence of our parents.   Most of the time we see our parents through our eyes at home and very rarely through the eyes of anyone else. It is only when we become adults that begin to see our parents through the eyes of others.

My father is a coach, a basketball coach, and a well-known basketball coach at that. As I child, I attended games twice-a-week on Tuesday and Friday. We also had the occasional tournament where my dad's team played more nights of the week. I would dread going to the games sometimes, but for the most part, I liked it.    My father started coaching in the 1960's at Phillips High School in Birmingham, Ala., before desegregation in the South. I was too young to understand what was happening during that time, my father however, played a role in history, because as I understand it, Phillips was one of the first high schools in Birmingham to desegregate.   After my second grade year, my dad took a job in Opelika, Ala., near Auburn. At the age of 7 I was forced to leave the school, friends and my home to move two and half hours away. I was mortified. My younger sister had not begun school yet so she had no idea what it meant to move and leave your school and friends.   My dad was the basketball coach at the only high school in the town, Opelika High. The kids were close to my dad and my dad was close to the kids. Opelika was a typical small town, everyone knew everyone else.   Income levels were all over the map, rich, middle income and poor. My father definitely had influence on the kids and players in this small town high school. My father was hard on them, and most of them at high school age, didn't realize what being hard on them meant something good. Most of my dad's players and students only realized the influence he had on them, when they became much older.    One of my dad's players became the pilot of Air Force One, flying it for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush before retiring.  I believe he achieved greatness because of the influence my dad had on this kid when he was in high school. To this day, my father remains friends with this former player.

After Opelika, we moved back to Birmingham where my father finished out his nearly 40-year career in the Jefferson County school system at Minor High.   My dad coached for a time in private school and for a few months at Huntingdon College. During most summers he continued coaching kids at many, many basketball camps. My dad is a kids coach, he loves coaching for the kids' sake. He also loves having a positive influence on them.   I never knew what influence he had on his players until meeting some of them.   I respect my dad very much. Not to say that we don't see eye-to-eye sometimes.  But at the end of the day in my mind, he has achieved great things as a coach. At 70-years young, he still coaches in the NBA Player's Association Camp during the summers. He also coached last summer in the LeBron James' camp in Ohio. I from time-to-time get to witness his influence.

Yesterday, I took my dad to the Davidson Basketball game they were in town to play one of the local colleges. He wanted to go for one specific reason, in order to see Stephen Curry, the number one scoring player and a kid he worked with at the LeBron James' camp.   The game was a sell-out due in part because of Curry. While standing in line to get in the door, several young men ran up to us to see my father. He taught them PE in private school when they were in the sixth grade. They were excited to see my dad and told him how much they missed him as a teacher. My dad the influencer.

Once inside, the arena quickly filled up every seat. Most kids at the game waited with baited breath for Curry to take the court.   My dad watched at the railing, Curry warm-up. Finally, my dad and Curry connected. My dad told me what a great kid Curry was, that he was respectful, he did good in school and he has his head on straight.   Kids with their heads on straight are my dad's favorite kids to work with.     It wasn't until after the game, that I realized exactly how much influence my dad had on Curry until my father saw him.   We had waited in the arena to see him, only to learn that the team had to be moved to another facility on campus due to the water pressure in the locker rooms. After finally learning where the team was, my dad proceeded past security (or tried to get past security) to talk to Curry. Curry saw my dad and told security, I know him, let me out to see him. As I was making my way down the stairs to my dad, I saw Curry give my dad a great big hug.    The kid was mesmerized to see my dad standing there. He was listening intently to every word my dad had to say. For that moment, Curry was not the big star, he was just a kid who was influenced by my dad, at camp last summer.

From that one single exchange yesterday, I know like never before, the influence that my dad, the coach, has on kids. And the influence they have on him. I was taken by the way Curry responded to my dad and my dad to him. It was like two old friends catching back up after being apart for a period of time.   They just picked right up from where they left off.

I know my dad has had tremendous influence on a number of lives over the years. I see it each and every time I see one of his old students. He continues to have influence on kids and others he works with. It is a trait I hope I immolate. I believe he will always have influence on the people he works with or meets.

As I continue through life, the one thing that I hope always remains constant in my life is my dad's influence. Not only the influence that he has on others, but the influence he has on me.

Economic Downturn of Pets

Kara's Blog — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:21:00 GMT

No one would have ever thought that the year 2008 would end up like it did. Ups and downs, twists and turns. One minute we're all riding high, the next we're not.   With the economic downturn hitting at the massive rate that it has over the last few months, according to some reports, when people have taken a hit, so have their pets.

I was in Chicago back in March of this year and I was horrified by story after story on the local news about people who had to flee their homes because of foreclosure many times left their family pets behind. A number of the shelters at that time were over run with pets waiting to be adopted. Now as we move closer to the end of the year, it seems that more and more people are having to decide between basic necessities and caring for their pets. Shelters are taking in many more pets than they can handle. Some organizations have been innovative in coming up with ways to provide temporary shelter for pets of families who are having financial difficulties.

I am an admitted dog lover. Always have been, so instead of relishing in the sadness of the times and people having to give up their pets, I want to talk for a minute about the positive things I have seen lately related to owning pets.   The Associated Press Petside.com recently conducted a poll where those surveyed stated that they knew what their animals' woofs and meows meant.   One woman even said that she related to her cats so well that she could just point to them to make them do what she wanted them to do.

I can relate. Alex, the Scottie that I lost this past year, would tell me exactly when he wanted to go out in his semi-growl talking that he did. He was so smart. I would ask him if he wanted to go bye, bye and he would rush to the door. I could say to him get a specific toy, call it by name, and he would. You may think sure, but honestly he could. I didn't like Alex to beg while I ate, so I would snap my finger at him and say go sit and he would until dinner was over. I also believe he could relate to emotions, he knew sadness, anger, laughing and illness. My friends often told me that Alex minded better than their children. Pretty amazing when you stop to think about it. The bond I had with Alex was like no other. I am now trying to form a closer bond with Abby, a rescue Scottie. It is going to take a little more time working with her, but I do hope eventually she will become closer to me. I have always been a believer that (pets) dogs especially understood a lot more than we would give them credit for. Take for example the case of the shoplifting dog. If you happened to catch the news on Christmas Day, CNN ran a news story about a dog who shoplifted a bone from a grocery store in Salt Lake City. According to the manager of the store, the dog chose the exact aisle with the pet food on it and chose a raw hide bone that was at eye level, then ran out of the store.   I believe the shoplifting dog knew exactly what he wanted and got it, for he too knew the economy is in a downturn. To me this story is another example of the psychological bond between man and dog (pets).   Clearly, in this case, the dog out smarted the store manager.

If there is one other note of interest I want to mention, if you are faced with making a decision between providing basic necessities for you and your family and your pet(s). Before you give up a part of the family, check to see if there is a pet food bank in your area that will provide food for you and your pet. USA Today recently ran a story about new pet food banks being established across the U.S. to help pet owners in need. Some shelters according to the story, have been practicing this concept for years.

There truly is a special bond between pets and their owners. I know this for a fact.

Pet Food Bank information: Click Here.

USA Today Story

Stop Running Scared

Kara's Blog — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:57:00 GMT

I realize in economic situations like these it is easy for people to panic or to run scared because of the way things are at this moment. I sympathize and I do experience the same challenges just as much as the next person. By no means am trying to make light of our economic times. But instead of running scared, I choose to get busy!    I have received a number of calls from colleagues whose businesses have taken a tumble in recent weeks. They have no new contracts and the contracts they do have are not as lucrative as they once were. A number of people when faced with this situation, choose to think the worst.

What if though,you chose to think the best?

If you are accustomed to doing business one way and only one way, what would happen if you took this opportunity to expand your products or services? I am not advocating moving away from your mission nor am I suggesting that you become all things to all people, but what I am suggesting is to look for ways to enhance your business.   Maybe you should consider a different type of client or a different service that you haven't ever considered before. Or maybe you should consider becoming slightly more competitive with your competitors and offer similar services they offer their clients.

Let's turn and think about marketing strategies. Specifically e-marketing.  My question to you is: Have you thought about examining your marketing strategy to see if you are doing all that you can to become or remain TOP OF MIND in your chosen area of business?    There are a number of inexpensive even free ways that you can implement to enhance your marketing program. Take for a case example the business of the ad agency. I chose this particular example to highlight because in times of economic downturn, most clients cutback on promotional and marketing services agencies are hired to do for them. Typically ad agencies are in the business of promoting, marketing and branding client goods or services by marketing the client through a variety of mediums available at the time, such as print, broadcast or electronic outlets. However I have to wonder if these ad agencies who are so good at marketing their clients, are using their own strategies and tactics they recommend to clients? If you are an ad agency and are faced with the challenge of how to grow your business in these economic conditions, then you may want to consider practicing what you preach to clients everyday.  There are a number of low cost, no cost marketing options available through electronic means.

One area I keep honing in on is using social networking Web sites as a way to increase your brand. I have seen first-hand some successes and results social networking can have when utilized properly.  If your ad agency or company is faced with not knowing what to do next to help grow clientèle, then you should consider marketing your work on Facebook and Linkedin or for that matter, any other business appropriate networking Web site. A number of these social networking sites have daily or group forums where members of the network ask questions or solicit new business directly.

Another area worthy of discussion is e-mail marketing. I want to make the case for e-mail marketing. As part of a client retention strategy most companies in today's marketplace should be collecting email addresses.    Have you thought about developing an e-newsletter? or periodic ,short email messages to remind or communicate with clients what is happening with your business?   One inexpensive tool I use is Constant Contact. I found it to be an inexpensive route to take and a pretty effective way to market clients, events and other items I have deemed important to communicate. There are other e-mail marketing products available such as i Contact. The point I am trying to dive home is that you need to be communicating with your clients on a regular basis and e-mail marketing seems to be a cheap and easy to do so.

Lastly, I recommend you become a blogger. You and your company are hired by clients for your expertise. Why not talk about your expertise by offering tips through a daily or weekly blog? Most blogging products are inexpensive or free and most are easy to manage.   Let me offer some words of caution: you must be committed to blogging regularly and you must be careful not to give away company secrets.

As I have said, there are many inexpensive e-marketing strategies out there on the market, and if you use them on a regular basis you will notice an increase of awareness about your brand.   Consistently increasing brand awareness in any medium will yield new contacts and clients.   So instead of running scared, run straight towards the challenge and try new ways to increase your brand by adding electronic marketing to your overall strategy. Oh and by the way, always, always keep up your networking- it is more valuable now than ever before.

Here's to Happy E-Marketing!    Cheers!

Try To Keep It Going Even In Tough Economic Times

Kara's Blog — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:54:00 GMT

Many people across the country are facing hardship and unemployment this holiday season. Whether you are downsized or your company goes out of business outright, you must try to keep it going even if things seem grim to you.

I have faced many a downsizing in my day with nonprofit and political organizations, therefore the advice I offer does not come without merit.

There are many horror stories about how people lose their jobs.  I was once laid off by an organization by receiving a Fed Ex letter two weeks after my team raised $2 million dollars.   Don't dwell in those stories, but be realistic. Never assume you are safe in any given situation, no matter who you are or what position you hold. Take it from me, once the lay-offs start you never know where cuts are going to be made. Always operate from the assumption that this could happen to me as well as form the mindset of being overly prepared for whatever comes your way. And always, always keep your resume updated.

Being laid-off or even fired from a job ranks right up there with the top three life-changes that affect people psychologically:

1. Death
2. Divorce
3. Job Loss

You must not let yourself succumb to the trap some find themselves in when faced with a life-changing scenario. Depression. It is devastating to lose a job. It hurts your ego, it hurts your sense of who you are.... But believe me, sinking into a deep state of depression only hurts you and your family. It never hurts anyone at your previous company.   In addition, don't think that just because you have received some severance pay you are in the clear.  Oh to the contrary.   The little money you receive in severance will only get you through the short run.  After the money runs out, what happens to you in the long run?

After the initial shock, I recommend your picking yourself up by the boot straps and get going with it. Looking for a job is a full time job. Don't the cobwebs grow around you. Get out there and do something about it. No one else will or can!

Here are my tips for hitting the job-search challenge head-on:

1. Re-examine your career path. Are there any adjustments you could make at this time?
2. Consider starting your own business or become a consultant.
3. Network, network, network- LET IT BE KNOWN THAT YOU ARE IN THE JOB MARKET and do not stop attending professional meetings. Go to as many as you can.
4. Talk to your friends, co-workers, ex-employers, ask them if they know of any available jobs.
5. Search all of the job Web sites.
6. Apply for jobs everyday. If something sounds close to what your chosen profession is, apply for it. You never know what other positions the company may have available.
7. Social Networking- Create a page on Linkedin or other business social networking sites. Let people know on the site your are looking for a job.
8. Be bold. Be creative.
9. De-stress. Remain calm.
10. Make sure you keep healthy. Laugh if you can. Maintain a positive demeanor.
11. Look at the situation as an opportunity. The glass is half full.
12. Smile.

One last piece of advice I will offer, is to consider taking a part-time job in the interim. You may believe that you are too good to do some of the jobs that may be available for instance in retail, but taking a part time job will help your self esteem as well as offer another opportunity to meet people and network.

Like I said before, looking for a job is a full-time job, but if you approach it in the right manner and frame of mind, you will overcome the situation.   Take if from one who's been there on more than one occasion.

Believe me it pays to be optimistic event if times are tough.