Author brilliantviewpoint

SmartBrief News

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75-Free-Retro-Clipart-Illustration-Of-A-Man-Sitting-On-Chair-While-Reading-Daily-NewspaperNews — Can we ever get enough? Not long ago I was signing up for a trade show online, which then asked me to sign up for different SmartBriefs (www.smartbrief.com).

My “first” reaction was – WAIT – I just wanted my trade show badge information. Why am I being asked about SmartBriefs?

Soon, I was at a screen asking me to choose “which” SmartBriefs I would like to receive. I still didn’t know what a SmartBrief was and I was already choosing! This was annoying. What happened to my badge signup?

Before I knew it, I had signed up for four SmartBriefs (Leadership, Manufacturing, Small Business and Entrepreneurship).

Finally, my badge registration was confirmed. I was mentally exhausted!

So, what is a SmartBrief?

“SmartBrief is the leading online publisher of targeted business news by industry. Newsletters sent to your email daily or weekly.”

Was it worth signing up? YES, I have found the newsletters to be very interesting; however, on stressful days it does feel like a bombardment in my inbox.

On those days, I have been tempted to press “unsubscribe,” but I always STOP myself.

Good thing, because today I opened a SmartBrief and read the most amusing story about “Segway Polo” having their first International Championship game in England. That was an enjoyable article!

segwayI knew that Segways had been used for tourist sightseeing, but polo?  BRILLIANT idea!

Segway Polo reminds me of Ultimate Frisbee. It’s those sports that we KNOW are fun, but our first reaction is to not take them seriously, because we think it is recreational – not a “real” sport.

So, by taking a moment to read a SmartBrief, a stressful day turned into an amusing one!

Segway Polo, think about it, this could be fun and definitely easy on the joints. We’d compete Internationally, I’m IN… and you?

Dress Code

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Someone on LinkedIn was mentioning that their company was what-to-wear1enforcing the “dress code” to “professional attire.” Co-workers were discussing this in the lunch room and complaining on how expensive it was going to be to “dress professionally.”

WHAT? I smiled at this. When did casual Friday take over the entire work week anyhow? And is “dressing professionally,” really so expensive?

Come on – 2 black pants and 4 work shirts bought on sale, rotate them during the week, same pearl necklace/earrings and 2-3 pairs of shoes. For a woman, a little boring, but it works.

OR, better solution, do what I did in manufacturing – dress in ALL Scarvesblack or all blue every day and change your scarf. Boy was that easy! Do you know I was receiving compliments on my scarves every day, no one even noticed I wore the same outfit – they “loved” the scarves. OK, the scarves were very bright and colorful, but you get the point. Dressing professionally can be as expensive or cheap as you make it. And you sure get dressed quickly in the morning when you have a “personal uniform.”

Interviewing has been a bit challenging too. It used to be we wore a blue suit, white shirt, and pearl necklace. Keep it simple. Now for many jobs if we go in a suit, we are over dressed. For example, a suit now would be used for a marketing/sales job interview, but if I go for an interview for a manufacturing job then going in a suit is inappropriate when they wear jeans. We would all feel awkward. Trust me, I made that mistake.

So… have we gotten too casual? Is it really that expensive to “dress professionally?”

And finally, do people work better when they “dress professionally” versus “casually?” I wonder!

Great Advertising

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I had to devote this Blog to advertising when I saw this adorable Italian ad from Dolce & Gabbana featuring Italian grandmothers with tiaras and beautiful designer purses. What a great idea! The ad warms our hearts.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana

Don’t they say a “picture is worth a thousand words?” This next ad caught my attention, because it was clever.

Madeline Weinrib

Madeline Weinrib

Madeline Weinrib’s marketing team used an interesting old Indian photo to transport our minds to India and then in a conversational font asked us if we knew they carried Antique Indian dhurries. The ad was very engaging! I’m curious about the photo.

I sold adverting for over seven years. It became a habit to prospect for potential advertisers in other magazines, newspapers, billboards, listening to the radio, and more. You name it, and I was there, looking for my next good lead.

It got to the point in my life that I couldn’t enjoy looking leisurely through a newspaper or magazine. Why? Well, instead of enjoying reading the articles, I was looking at all the advertisements. After ripping out pages for different leads my brain was too tired to go back to the beginning to actually “read” an article. The funny thing was, I had bought the magazine to “read” NOT “prospect,” but work prevailed.

Now, a few years later I can enjoy reading… but my mind is still “alert” to looking for the next great ad something I haven’t seen before. Isn’t that why we look forward to the Super Bowl ads?

I’ll leave you with this last great ad by “Hellman – Chang.” I love this ad. The men are in beautiful suits, focused on making furniture and RIGHT in the middle of the ad it says, “IMPORTED FROM BROOKLYN!” THAT caught my attention and I smiled.

Way to go guys. America is on the verge of a manufacturing “come back!”

Hellman - Chang

Hellman – Chang

So, what’s YOUR favorite ad?

Dragon Boat Racing / Italian Meetup

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Ottawa Dragon Boat Feast

Ottawa Dragon Boat Feast

About a year ago I received an unsolicited Meetup.com email in my inbox. The title mentioned something about “Dragon Boat Racing.” Of course, I immediately thought this was “junk mail.” I didn’t know about Dragon Boat Racing and I had never signed up for a Meetup.

I was curious though, because I like being out on the water. I had heard that Meetups were a great way to do different activities and meet new people. So, I nervously pressed the “open” email button hoping I wouldn’t be infected with a virus.

Dubuque, IA Chamber of Commerce photo

Dubuque, IA Chamber of Commerce photo

I was pleasantly surprised. No virus! It turned out they had a Meetup scheduled for that Saturday, free to attend as they supplied canoe, life vest, paddle and free coaching – I just had to show up. I decided to give it a try.

It was a lot of fun!

So, I went again today and I wasn’t disappointed. The first group out to practice were the veterans. Wow – they are FAST. May/June time frame they have some competitions coming up, so they were focused on timing and their strokes. A canoe is 44 ft long with 20 paddlers. Wonderful to be out on the water, it’s a great team sport (see photo of a team in action).

View of Florence, Italy

View of Florence, Italy

This encouraged me to try another Meetup. This time I went to a weekly Italian conversational one. They meet every week on Sunday at an Italian café. This group spoke different levels of Italian, some basic/intermediate like me and others fluent, because they had lived there. Enjoyed being transported to Italy for an hour.

Well… I’m smiling, because I think that junk email is like dating. Sometimes the email you want to toss out is really the one you should keep!

Happy Easter!

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

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Bologna Children's Book FairFor a long time now, I have had an interest in writing a children’s book. Why? Because when we are young, this is when we have incredible curiosity to learn and our imagination is big. Books expose us to life, to adventure… We believe we can be or do anything. Reading is powerful.

A few years ago, someone told me about the annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. I immediately investigated.

Bologna seen from Asinelli Tower

Bologna seen from Asinelli Tower

The book fair takes place every year “at this time” – end of March beginning of April. Approximately 70 publishers from around the world travel to Bologna to buy and sell rights for international publication. They all gather here from authors, literary agents, illustrators, licensors, licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, and booksellers to librarians.

For me, this is super exciting! This is the place to see the latest in children’s literature and multimedia production from around the world.

We have all been influenced by different children’s books when we were young, i.e., Babar, Madeline, Pinocchio, Rupert Bear, Dr. Seuss, etc.

Who remembers being part of Junior Great Books?

Strega_Nona_(Tomie_dePaola_book)_cover_artThinking of Italy, my children enjoyed this Italian children’s book called, “Strega Nona,” by Tomie dePaolo. The book was published in 1975 and won the Caldecott Honor in 1976. The story is about Strega Nona and her magic pasta pot and Big Anthony who secretly tries to use the magic pasta pot, fumbles on the magic verse, filling the town with pasta. Strega Nona comes to the rescue.

It’s fun to read about the author, see Tomie dePaolo’s story here: http://www.tomie.com/about_tomie/index.html

So, how do I get into the Bologna Children’s Book Fair? You’ve got to be in the industry to attend. I still have this on my Bucket List, there’s got to be a way…

I know, I hear you saying, “Start writing!”

Casper’s at it again…

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Casper, my little ghost, is back. This time 5:30 AM I saw flickering lights coming from the TV. My old Panasonic TV turned on by itself again. This time it was not a movie, but an infomercial for exercise.

I did smirk to myself. That was an appropriate wake up call. It did cross my mind that Casper was suggesting I get into a routine. This was a Zumba informercial, you know those are lively!

Casper - My Little Ghost

Casper – My Little Ghost

This TV situation is a bit odd, isn’t it? How can a TV turn on by itself?

My engineering friend suggested that the internal timer has gone wacky. This TV is from the old days where you would set the timer on the TV to record your shows. This is a plausable idea.

I’m curious to figure this out, but I don’t care to pay a repair man over $200 to tell me I need a new TV. We know that will be the end result. Also, there might not be a repair man out there.

I wanted to have an old Apple scanner/printer/fax machine fixed and was told they don’t fix those anymore. WHAT? I knew it was a small fix, I had Googled what needed to be done, but it was not something this non-engineer could take care of on her own. That was frustrating.

Like it or not, at some point we are forced to “upgrade!”

Everyone needs their own “little ghost.” Thanks to Casper, I did exercise today, because I kept thinking of that Zumba infomercial.

Badge of Honor

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This week, I deserve a badge of honor. For years now my mother has been begging me to listen to audio books. I have resisted as any child does. Why, I just didn’t think I’d like it. I mean, if you have to listen to the CD, you have to pay attention, and with our busy lives when would I have time to mentally focus?

The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project

My mother, in her Italian accent would say, “Cicciolino, listen to the books while you are cleaning the house, you’ll want to clean, because you’ll want to hear the entire story.”

I’m laughing, can you imagine that? I thought she was really digging deep now. An audio book that will make me WANT to clean the house? I imagined myself wearing a cute Italian apron, with a funny duster, humming opera tunes while listening to audio tapes. That’s the perfect Italian wife!

This past week, my mother got her wish. I actually listened to an audio book. It was by complete accident.

Our Book Club is reading “The Rosie Project,” by Graeme Simsion. All the print versions at the library were checked out, EXCEPT (did you hear that), except for the audio version. YES, I smiled; OK Mom, you’re getting your wish!

A miracle happened! I popped the CD in my car and was pleasantly surprised to hear the narrator (Daniel O’Grady) speaking in an Australian accent. His voice, reading the story of a “nutty professor looking for a wife,” was so amusing that, my mother was RIGHT, I wanted to keep listening to the story! NOW, I needed a long road trip somewhere…

Cat O'Nine Tales: And Other Stories

Cat O’Nine Tales: And Other Stories

I’m hooked… next audio book, “Cat O’Nine Tales: And Other Stories,” by Jeffrey Archer!

Here’s a perfect example of not being open to someone’s viewpoint! Mom, you are ALWAYS right!

Becoming Irish!

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Fighting IrishI started learning about the Irish when I met my roommate Freshman year at Saint Mary’s College. She came from a big Irish family in upstate NY. She had freckles, strawberry blond hair, great sense of humor, real prankster and enjoyed drinking beer. We were in luck that her brother was a senior at the University of Notre Dame that year. I had just graduated from Miss Porter’s School and suddenly my world went from Daisy Chains to the Fighting Irish and a Leprechaun mascot!

Now, my daughter is going to the University of Limerick and we are getting to know the Irish even better. Last year on an interview with a book publisher, I found an Irish cookbook. The other day I was driving home, no rain, but there was a rainbow on the skyline – no leprechaun though, trust me, I looked.

The Irish have had their influence on my daughter. She now eats biscuits, not scones. She drinks tea, not coffee. She said sugar goes in before the milk and no Irish house is without a tea kettle. She said she’s learned that to “shift” means to “make out.” The term “crack” means to be happy and a black person is not an African American (grin).

She’s learned patience and time management (see sheep photo), enjoy the beautiful countryside, there is no rush! Embrace driving on the “other side” of the road. Oh, and Dublin is now becoming a magnet to American companies as their European headquarters.

Irish Sheep

Irish Sheep

Do you see where I am going here? We have the potential of becoming Irish. After four years of College, my daughter might have an Irish accent and decide to stay there.

Irish beer clinkingAfter watching the film The Quiet Man with John Wayne, I thought the Irish have the temperament of the Italians (my background). Fiery one minute and toasting the next. Irish / Italians – this could work!

So, here’s to becoming IRISH!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Where do Blogs fit in?

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Well, here you go, social media explained in one easy graphic from http://www.themetapicture.com. At least that seems to be where it came from. Does anyone understand the use of online content (graphics, videos, articles, etc.) that are floating around the internet? When can we use them? How can we use them?

Social Media Explained

Social Media Explained

There must be copyright laws that apply. I did some investigating on this subject; however, rules and regulations were not clear.

I’m sure this has crossed ALL of your minds when you are passing along a post, a graphic, a video, an article, etc. How does an author “own” their own content. This is a big question, because social media is about “sharing.” I think rules/regulations are evolving on a “case by case” basis. Yes / No?

I just read an article about cyber thieves stealing domain names from up and running companies. The company realizes this has happened when they are not receiving foot traffic or any orders. They think their site went down. They investigate and find their site was stolen. Lots of legal work to get their site back!

One thing I have noticed is that some authors have started putting their name / website address on their graphics. Like this one I am sharing with you. This way, we all know where the content came from. Excellent idea!

Back to this social media graphic. Great, right! What a concise way to explain marketing using social media. It looks like the graphic came from a Google marketing meeting. When put in layman’s terms suddenly social media is easy and understandable.

So, if you are good at social media, the sky is the limit on how you can market yourself and your company. Where do Blogs fit in on that white board though!

Crossing the Sahara Desert

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I’ve always been fascinated by the Sahara Desert in Morocco. A few years ago I was reading the travel section of the Chicago newspaper and there was a beautiful picture of runners in the desert. The caption read, “Marathon Des Sables: Toughest Footrace on Earth!” That caught my attention.

I started reading and was fascinated from the start. Why so tough? Well, the race is six days long. You basically are running a marathon each day in extreme heat. On the 4th day they really putMarathon des Sables you to the test by having you run about 46 miles. Keep in mind that you have your entire week’s supply of food, clothing, sleeping bag, etc. on your back as you run.

Did I mention extreme heat of over 100˚ Fahrenheit? During the day runners are given water at different rest stops. At night you sleep in a designated tent with seven other people, who become your family. Yes, there could be scorpions, but it sounds like you don’t care… at that point you are so tired and dealing with blisters that you plop down to sleep.

I fantasize about doing this race; although, I know it’s not realistic. I cannot take the heat, I really dislike running, I have never been in a marathon, I am currently not in marathon shape and I am not in my 20s – 30s. Did I miss my chance?

The appeal for me with this race is crossing the desert – having an adventure. Of course, there is the question of stamina, endurance, and determination as well. So, when are we too old to attempt something like this? They say some people in their 60s have walked the race. Yes/No? What do you think?

FYI – registration for 2016 is now.