I’m excited to have completed our first promo video! Check it out, and please LIKE us on YouTube today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdn-1gNsUNM
My very special thanks go out to Mike Liebensohn of VideoActive Productions – amazing work, and great value! Contact us today if you want to learn more about how video can take your website to the next level.
I was browsing YouTube this morning looking for inspiration… Found it! We are on the right track, folks.
This social media ride we are experiencing is growing in leaps and bounds and I am excited that we are taking this fast-paced train ride together. No longer is this social media frenzy about just connecting with old friends. The ROI (return on investment) that businesses are experiencing by leveraging social media platforms is impressive. If you hire a marketing expert, they would tell you it is important to stay on top of your online market. Did you know that there is a new member that joins LinkedIn every second? That schoolteachers are utilizing iPads and the internet for their lessons?
Because of this massive growth, it doesn’t matter if you are in the front of the train or in the caboose. What matters is that you are on it and taking full advantage of the experience. Watch this YouTube video to gain more insight on why it is important to get on this social media revolution train. And, if you need help navigating it, contact us for help!
In society today we are programmed to believe that we need to grow up, have a family, get a good job to support this family and save for retirement so we can relax in our elder years. We are trained at a very young age that once we are an adolescent, we need to start growing up and thinking like an adult. What is an adult? I think I am one and this has always confused me. Parents tell us to be more responsible, “get a job”, “grow-up;” … But then we hear “Life is too short,” “Seize the day,” “Live in the now!”
I want you to close your eyes and visualize what an “adult” is supposed to look like.
Was the adult you thought of wise and responsible or was he/she fun and playful? Who said an adult needs to be all wise with no fun? Can’t we be both?
I agree that as we get older there is a need to be more independent, go out in the world to find ourselves, be responsible and not rely so much on our parents and grandparents. But, we are forgetting that just because we are grown-ups doesn’t mean that we don’t continue to grow up and make mistakes. We, too, fall and get up and try again. And to be honest, as I grow and learn, my goals and dreams change. What I wanted out of life last year is different from what I want today. I think that is why they say “live in the now” because NOW is what is right in front of us. We don’t know what tomorrow brings and every single day is different.
A wise person (OK, it’s Oogway in Kung Fu Panda) said it best: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a GIFT and that is why it is called the PRESENT.”
(Photo courtesy Boians Cho Joo Young, freedigitalphotos.net)
This past week we had the privilege of launching a new custom WordPress website for the Partnerships for America. Our client, chief executive officer Ann McIntyre, works tirelessly coordinating volunteers and funds to support mothers and children. The Cuddle Me diaper bank provides free diapers and other basics of living to children from birth to age three. Other off-shoot programs support children through their childhood, teen years, and prepare them to be self-sufficient adults.
The need is great for these children! Please visit the Partnerships site, and if you feel moved to do so, consider making a donation in any amount to this great cause.
Today’s blog post highlights a non-profit called Creative Arts for Developing Minds, and features guest blogger Nan Arnstein. I have networked and talked frequently with Nan, and this is a truly wonderful organization, and an inspiring story of a dream realized. More info can be found at www.creativeartsdm.org.
I am a former foster child who learned to play the piano at age five. Over time, as I withdrew from the world in an attempt to survive the uncertainties of being in and out of foster homes, the piano became my refuge. Music was an escape from the world and playing the piano was something that no one could take from me. Thus began the beginning of what has turned out to be a life-long solace. Here is the story of how Creative Arts for Developing Minds came into existence.
The month of January 2009 was cold, snowy and provided the perfect back drop for reflection. I had spent 20+ years working in the public accounting and corporate financial worlds and was ready for a change. The phrase “mid-life crisis” does not really fit as I did not go out and buy some outrageous vehicle or take a trip around the world. Rather, I decided to start a non-profit organization that would provide combined music, art and movement activities for children in foster care. Quite ambitious given we were in the middle of a recession, I had no job and not much experience working within the nonprofit landscape. What I had was a desire to provide an opportunity for current foster children to increase their self-esteem and to develop a sense of community using the creative arts as the vehicle. After researching the effects that trauma has on a child’s developing brain, I discovered that exposure to creative arts activities assist in the reversal of the effects of those earlier events and even develop new neuro-pathways within the brain. What a benefit – an opportunity to learn self expression in a safe environment AND heal prior damage at the same time!
Creative Arts for Developing Minds is a nonprofit organization located in the greater Hartford area. Our therapeutically developed curriculum provides unique activities that combine the creative modalities of music, movement and art. We provide activities that challenge each child to express themselves in a safe environment. Creative Arts for Developing Minds provides services to foster children between the ages of two and twelve through eight week sessions that meet once per week. Children are encouraged to attend subsequent sessions as the benefits of the activities increase exponentially with additional exposure to creative modalities.
I am honored to be the founder and chief executive officer of Creative Arts for Developing Minds. To work with foster children in a healing environment and to offer them creative outlets to express their feelings is rewarding on a daily basis. To provide a safe space for foster children in which they feel special, listened to and cared about is my way to give back to the community. I was lucky to find the piano. Now I assist other foster children to find their instrument of expression.
Nan Arnstein, Founder / CEO
860.834.3359
www.creativeartsdm.org
We are thrilled to release another new, custom, responsive-design website, for Carolyn Cronkhite at the Cronkhite Law Firm in Plainville, CT. After a long period of discussion and discovery, we worked closely with Carolyn to create an online presence that speaks to her unique firm. Check it out at www.cronkhitelawfirm.com!
Here’s what Carolyn had to say about working with North Forty Road:
I’ve had the pleasure of working with North Forty Road Web Design, LLC for the last two years as they designed and launched my new website. It took me that long to find the perfect concept and layout for my business. Scott and his design team worked closely with me through many, many revisions and re-designs. They were incredibly patient with me and flexible enough to present fresh ideas when I changed my mind “yet again.”
I wanted a website that reflected both my professional approach to the legal field and the personal touches that distinguish me form every other attorney. My website demonstrates competence and confidence as well as warmth and sincerity. This was profoundly important to me. Scott and his team worked many hours to provide me with exactly what I was looking for.
I would recommend North Forty Road to anyone looking to distinguish themselves on the internet. They have tremendous resources available to them to meet your individual needs and the persistence to complete the project to your exact specifications.
Ready to get started on a great new website for your business? Contact us today to get started.
Have you ever thought about how cool it would be do have hundreds, if not thousands, of Twitter followers? I know I have! Engagement might be the key that we are missing. What do I mean by engagement? Engagement means interaction. Search for interesting topics that you might want to get involved in, and start interacting with those people and groups. Start following them and ask them to start following you. Put yourself out there, and it will come back to you.
The following video is from someone I follow, and helps explain hashtags and how they can really help your social experience. J.B.’s Morning Coach daily podcast keeps me fresh on new ideas and business techniques. He is very informative, motivational, and makes learning the proper ways of “engaging yourself” very easy. Take a look and tell me what you think!
Click here: http://youtu.be/5ndgMtLN2gg
Are you looking for the vehicle to break through the roadblocks and detours that have sidetracked you on life’s highway? Need a little motivation to achieve your own personal and business goals?
The new book, One Door Closes: Overcoming Adversity by Following Your Dreams, by my clients at The MotivAct Group (Tom Ingrassia and Jared Chrudimsky), captures the inspirational, highly emotional stories of 16 individuals from all walks of life who have triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve their goals. Through first-person accounts, these courageous survivors describe their personal approaches to living their lives with vision, courage, determination and passion. They share the wisdom they learned along the way – often the hard way – wisdom you can use on your own journey. Many are sharing their stories publicly for the first time. Incorporating holistic self-assessment tools and self-motivational techniques, One Door Closes will guide you to design your own personal blueprint for success.
Highly recommended! One Door Closes is available at Amazon.com.
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Everyone is unique, everyone has their own special style and skills. As a business person, what are your best skills? What are the skills you struggle with most?
Are they the same thing?
It may just be that the thing we are best at is the thing we struggle with the most. And, if that’s the case, isn’t it the most worthwhile skill of all?
For me, it is talking about myself. At a network meeting yesterday, we were all asked to pair off and prepare our new partner to deliver a 1-minute commercial for our businesses. In other words, I would be making a presentation to the group promoting the business of the person next to me. Nerve-wracking? A bit. Fun? Definitely!
An interesting thing happened.
The presentations were much more personal than the average “Hi, I’m John Smith who owns [insert business] and we do [insert profession]”… In fact, the presentation that my partner did was simply wonderful. She made me look far better than I could have, ever.
Later, I put a lot of thought into why, and here’s what I came up with: When placed in a position of talking about anyone but ourselves, we entrepreneurs are very comfortable selling a person instead of a product. If we all could get better at saying things about ourselves that help people get to know us and trust us, our sales would skyrocket! But it’s not easy for a mostly-modest person to do, and even more challenging for a less-than-modest person one.
I think, though, that this is one of the most important skills we can learn as successful businesspeople: Be comfortable enough in your own skin to share your best person with others. The business will follow.
Here goes: I am a well-connected, well-trusted businessman who loves helping small businesses grow an amazing online experience. I have fun doing this, and my clients do, too.
(Photo courtesy PinkBlue, freedigitalphotos.net)