Have you become silent?

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don't be silent, Dr. Marting Luther King Jr., inspire, lives begin to end when we're silent, Quote, relevant

This statement carries a great deal of power without even considering who said it. When you read this in light of the topics of the day – DOMA, bullying, violence – there is much to be vocal about.

Don’t be silent. Live.

How are you spending your time

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family, Gustav Metzman, how do you spend your time?, inspire, love, meaningful, mom, printable, Quote, random, real, relationships, relevant, spend time on the important things, what's important

I’ve felt very busy lately. Busier than normal even. It seems I’m only able to focus on the present and not able to consider the larger picture and what comes next. I love this reminder to make time for the important, even if it doesn’t seem there is time.

I’m making a list of what’s important and am going to focus on making those a priority. I’m guessing that time won’t feel like being busy.

What’s important to you?

Be Smart about Sponsored Posts on Facebook

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#DontBeAVibe, advertising, Facebook ads, Facebook advertising, learn, marketing, real, relevant, Social media

Full disclosure: the Facebook pages I’m currently managing are not using sponsored posts or paid ads. In fact, it’s been awhile since I did a similar promotion so I’m not completely current on the options. However, I’m positive that the people in the following examples are also not current on Facebook practices either.

Example 1:

This appeared in the sponsored ad section to the right of my newsfeed tonight. While I have no issue with faithful men, black men, or faithful black men, I am sorry to disappoint the advertiser. I’m a happily married white woman.

It does make me wonder what about my profile or what I’m sharing made me come up in their marketing target.

This next one is by far my favorite….

Example 2:

As background, our community is hosting its first colorful run this summer. In fact, not only did national organizers bring us our first, but also our second and third. My friend and I ran one in Indy last year and had the best time. We were thrilled when the first and second announced they were coming to our hometown. But when the third hit the scene and it was a race name no one had heard of…it was time to say enough-is-enough. So I did via a Facebook status and their link.

Unfortunately for them, they didn’t notice the sarcasm used when I shared their link. At least I don’t think they did because they used it to advertise via a sponsored post on my friend’s page. (Thanks, Stasha, for the screenshot!)

Moral of the Story

If you’re using Facebook features like sponsored posts or ads, be fully aware of  what your options are, how the post will appear, who will see it and what is the opportunity for ROI. It’s like the old saying goes, not all PR is good PR.

I was already unimpressed by the Color Vibe and even less so now. #DontBeAVibe

Mouth Watering Marketing

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advertising, billboards, design, food, learn, marketing, mobile billboard, professional life, random, real, relevant, semi-truck marketing, work

I’m a big fan of unexpected marketing. You know, the things that catch you by surprise and leave you smiling or even better, thinking about making a purchase. However, not every piece of marketing is created equal. Oftentimes, it’s not the medium that fails to deliver but rather how the designer fails to make the most of the opportunity.

I snapped this photo of a semi-truck making the most of its moving billboard at a red light the other day. I love this as an example of what to do.

• Play upon what’s expected. Here they took the expected (Caution: Vehicle Makes Wide Turns) and used it to get the attention of the consumer (May Cause Mouth to Water).
• Provide a way to track ROI. In this example, it’s the discount code (TRUCK) used when placing an order.
• Keep it simple. This design is a bit busy, but overall I had enough time to let it catch my attention, see the offer, read the phone number and dial it if I had wanted steaks.

Kudos to this team for making the most of their moving billboards!

Are you taking full advantage of your marketing opportunities?

I’m 29 today!

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birthday, health risk assessment, random, real, Real Age, Real Age Test, relevant, tools

No, really!

Today is/was my birthday. And while I’ve been on the earth a bit longer than 29 years, I was pleasantly surprised to know my Real Age is 29.1. What a perfect thing to see when you’re struggling to blow out candles that cover the cake!

Frankly, I was pretty surprised my age was this low. After all, my husband teases me that I’m 80 years old! Why? I don’t eat the recommended servings of fruits and veggies. I have a few minor health concerns. I don’t exercise like I should. And as a result, my BMI is higher than it should be. When I add this all up, I think I’m aging myself. However, the Real Age test considers so many additional factors. Factors that must be in my favor!

Have you ever taken a health risk assessment? Are you afraid of what your number might be? Try it! You might be pleasantly surprised like I was. Either way, you’ll get a list of recommendations bound to give you a shot at seeing your next few birthdays.

How to Thank a Soldier

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Be an American worth fighting for, Quote, random, real, relevant, Rob Waldo Waldman, Your Wingman

There are many ways to thank a soldier including literally saying “Thank you for your service!” when you cross their path. Last week, I learned an even more poignant way to drive this reminder home every day. It came from Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman who was giving the keynote address at our organization’s quarterly leadership development institute.

Do this.

I love this reminder for myself.

By the way, if you need an excellent motivational speaker, hire Waldo! He received rave reviews from the crowd for good reason.

Lapper Day

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cancer, Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, fundraiser, fundraising event, grandfather, grandpa, grandparents, Lapper 2013

I’ve long been a fan of Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana (CSNI). But longer than that, I’ve been a family member of someone with cancer. Because the cause is personal for me, I am walking in support of CSNI at Lapper 2013 in memory of my great-grandfather and two grandpas who died of cancer.

I had the privilege of being with each of these men in their last days and hours. Those precious times are ones I recall regularly. However, I don’t have to remember the impact their disease had on their wives as my grandmother’s still live with the loss cancer created.

The impact cancer has on the caregivers is one of the reasons I love CSNI. They have resources for the patient but also for the family. When my grandpa was diagnosed, I had confidence referring my grandma to the team at Cancer Services as I knew she’d have an advocate to work with them and she’d have access to items that would provide comfort and care.

I’m walking as part of Team Contagious Community and we have a big goal of raising $1,500. If you feel so inclined, I’d love to have your support! Click here to donate.

A TEDMED Recap

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America Bracho, Andrew Solomon, art and science, best practice, big data, case study, connect, design, favorite, Great Challenges, health, health and wellness, healthcare, innovation, inspire, learn, list, making health contagious, meaningful, prevention, real, recap, recommendation, recommendations, relevant, research, review, Richard Simmons, slideshare, small data, technology, TED talks, TEDMED, TEDMED 2013, TEDMED talks, TEDxFortWayne, wellness, work

Two weeks ago, I was deeply immersed in the wonder of TEDMED. The 2013 conference was hosted at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center and proved to be the perfect setting for a conference built around innovation, design, art and science. The theme for this year’s TEDMED was Unexpected Connections.

Using this theme, I shared a five minute review of my three and half days at TEDMED with the attendees of TEDxFortWayne on April 27, 2013. When Craig asked me to share briefly, I wasn’t sure how to express what it meant to have this ‘bucket list’ opportunity and how I gained even more than I imagined. It was difficult to capture the experience and not just the education in such a brief time, but if you’re interested in a visual recap of the experience, my slides follow below.

Over the next few weeks, TEDMED will be releasing the videos of the talks that occurred on the Opera House stage. A few I recommend watching include:

• “What Happens when Patients Become Leaders on the Health Team?” by America Bracho, Director of Latino Health Access [WATCH]
• “How Does an Illness Become an Identity?” by Andrew Solomon, winner of the National Book Award [WATCH]
• “What does a $100 million Pubic Health Data Revolution Look Like?” by Christopher J.L. Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [WATCH]
• “If Truth is Beauty, Can Art Be Science?” by David Odde & Black Label Movement [WATCH]
• “What Happens When Each Patient Becomes Their Own “Universe” of Unique Medical Data” by Deborah Estrin, Co-founder of Open mHealth [WATCH]
• “How Did Volunteers Save More than 40,000 Lives in 3 minutes (each) Last Year?” by Eli Beer, Founder and President of United Hatzalah [WATCH]
• “What if We Treated Violence Like a Contagious Disease?” by Gary Slutkin, Founder and Executive Director of Cure Violence [WATCH]
• “How Can Design Principles Lead to More Discovery and Better Treatment?” by John Maeda, President of RISD [WATCH]
• “What Happens When Death is What’s For Dinner?” by Michael Hebb, Food Provocateur and Founder of One Pot [WATCH]
• “This City is Going on a Diet” by Mick Cornett, Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [WATCH]
• “Is the “Obesity Crisis” Just a Disguise for a Deeper Problem?” by Dr. Peter Attia, Founder and President of Nutrition Science Initiative [WATCH]
• “When is a Wheelchair an Ultra-Light Submarine?” by Sue Austin, artist [WATCH]
• “What is the Sound of E. Pluribus Unum?” by Professors of the Washington Conservatory [WATCH]

Were you at TEDMED? Which talks are you recommending to others? If you weren’t, do any of the above peak your interest?

iPhone Pick-Me-Up

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random

Sometimes you need a pick-me-up. Whether it’s lipstick, a new shade of nail polish or sparkly accessory, it can be the little thing that makes a big difference.

Today, I decided my most used accessory needed the extra boost. Thanks to Target’s new grab-and-gift aisle, this pick-me-up was only $15. Not bad for a burst of color on a blustery day when all you want is the warmth of Summer.

Get More Out of Conferences

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conference, conference value, get the most from a conference, how to, real, relevant

Yikes! It’s been over a month since my last post. My apologies to the few of you who have missed me. And you’re welcome to those of you grateful for my silence. 🙂

It seems like conference season starts as the spring flowers bloom. I’m looking forward to a few upcoming conferences and what I’ll take away. (More on these later including an opportunity that was on my bucket list!) There are as many reasons to attend a conference as there are options for topics and locations.

For me, I attend with the goal of being inspired, learning, connecting with others and bringing that inspiration and connection back to my organization. I shared my tips for getting the most out of a conference during last conference season. As I prep for my latest learning experience, I was grateful to a friend for sharing this Lifehacker tip, “Sit In the Front Row and Get More Out of Your Meetings and Conferences.” More good advice!

In fact, I just heard this week that at TED events, you’re asked to sit in the back row if you’re using technology to take notes during presentations. Otherwise, the blue screens are distracting to those in the room and those watching via simulcast or video. How true!

What are the best tips you have to share for getting the most out of a conference?