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

And last but not least….(if you need to put a smile on your face):

• “How Do I Count My Blessings Every Day?” by Richard Simmons, Fitness personality and actor

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?

Smart Marketing

Do you notice when you’re being marketed to? It seems like more recently, I’ve noticed some marketers being smart about how they connect. Just today, Kevin Mullett pointed out (much to his dismay) that he acted on Facebook marketing yesterday.

I wonder if anyone else notices when an ad works on them. My husband says I only notice things like this because I work in the field. What I’ve been noticing more recently, isn’t how or when I act on a message but rather on how a marketer reaches me.

Example: Yesterday, someone I work with sent an article my direction. After reading it and finding it valuable, I noticed I hadn’t previously heard of the publication. Of course, I looked to see if they had a social media presence and followed them on Twitter. Fast forward about 30 hours and an email lands in my inbox telling me to “Renew Your Free Subscription Today.” Wow! I never had a subscription but hey, if it’s free. That’s what they want me to think any way. (And I will probably sign up for it since it’s industry related content and someone I respect finds it to be valuable.)

Isn’t the sales funnel interesting? Am I the only one who notices these things?

DKNY Accused of Stealing Hundreds of Images From NYC Photographer | Adweek

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AdFreak, being paid for your work, community, community responds via social media, contracts, copyright, DKNY, random, real, relevant, Social media

Last week, we were talking about the response to being hacked. Now the question is what is the right response to an ‘isolated error’ when the community is now a part of the conversation?

Read the link below for AdFreak’s highlight of the issue involving a deal that went south for a NYC photographer. Included is DKNY’s response not to pay the photographer for his work (they originally desired and then used) but rather to donate to charity.

DKNY Accused of Stealing Hundreds of Images From NYC Photographer | Adweek.

This is quite a sticky issue with many different points of view. I want to hear yours. Did DKNY do the right thing in the end?

The Good: A Tough Week in KC from KC Kids Doc

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caring, community, connect, connection, Fort Wayne, generosity, random, real, relationships, relevant

Inspiring account of the good that is found in times of crisis. I can’t help but think my own community would respond in the same way. I certainly hope we would.

Take a moment and learn from the love in KC.

The Good: A Tough Week in KC | KC Kids Doc.

Responding to a Hack

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Burger King, Burger King Twitter hack, crisis communication, Fort Wayne, learn, marketing, McDonald's, PR, PR nightmare, Public Relations, real, relevant, review, Social media, twitter, work

If you were on Facebook all day, you might not know Burger King’s Twitter account was hacked. Unique to this situation (from a PR perspective) is that the hackers gave credit to McDonald’s. Poor McDonald’s! A PR person’s worst nightmare may be having their social media account hacked. Next on the list might be getting credit where no credit is due wanted. (Mashable does a great job of sharing today’s activity in a timeline fashion if you’re interested.)

Inevitably over the next few days, both Burger King and McDonald’s will be studied for their response to this incident. Lucky for them, they have the benefit of learning from those who’ve gone before them like BP. Not being the leader in this instance is a good thing.

Just as the PR crisis happens via social media, so does the opportunity for others to respond and engage. Every story in the news can be shared or spark a conversation for you or your brand. The key is to not capitalize on them.

So what’s the right way to respond in the moment from your brand? Especially if your brand offers PR services. Locally, three marketing agencies posted a tweet and commentary on the situation. I screened their names and avatars so that opinion wouldn’t be generated based on the account. Each takes a different approach to joining the conversation on the topic. Each approach has benefits and potential downsides.Which firm do you think responded the best? What is your take-away from this situation that you can apply if (in your worst nightmare) your own organization faces a PR crisis?