In other countries, Haiti, Turkey and Ukraine, for example, many times when a child is born with a disability (sometimes even a minor defect such as stunted growth to an extremity) the parents are counseled to institutionalize the child, often being told that they will not be able to care for the child, or that the child will die regardless of care.

Those disabled children are then sent to orphanages where they will live until their 4th birthday. Their life has then become a race against the clock to be adopted before that 4th birthday, for once they are four they are sent to live out the remainder of their bleak existence in a mental institution. Once there, they will be relegated to a metal crib where most of their time is spent. They do not go outside, they do not play, they are rarely, if ever, given a hug or comforted in any way. Many times their only human contact comes when a worker is forced to change their urine and feces soaked sheets. They are tied to their cribs or bound in straight-jackets fastened from sheets to keep them from injuring themselves out of boredom or frustration.

This crib is not temporary until they outgrow it, they live in this crib until they die. Many times they are denied basic nutrition or water simply by neglect. The workers are few and the children and needs are many. The most important fact here is that these children are human beings.

Reece’s Rainbow, begun by parents of a Down Syndrome boy, is one organization that helps to free these children, specifically Down Syndrome and other special needs kids in other countries, by providing funding to families willing to open their arms and hearts to adopt one of them. They work from donations to help provide grants to adoptive families as often times the costs to bring the children home is exorbitant.

One family, dear friends of mine – the Parkers, are adopting not just one, but two beautiful baby girls with Down Syndrome from The Ukraine through Reece’s Rainbow. They are not strangers to special needs children, and have big hearts and wide open arms waiting for these babies. They will have no trouble caring for them once they are home, but the real hurdle is in getting them here. Even though there is some help available for the adoption and transport of the girls, much of the burden falls to the adoptive family to raise the funds.

Here is part of Kate Parker’s story on why they are adopting:

As the mother of several children with special needs, I was very disturbed by the realization that children in eastern Europe who are born with disabilities are not welcome in society and ultimately, if they are not adopted, they get transferred to mental institutions.

My husband & I looked into adopting through the foster care system, but inquiries about several children were met with closed doors… A short time later, another online friend announced she was adopting a girl with Down syndrome from Ukraine. She introduced me to Reece’s Rainbow (www.reecesrainbow.org), a fantastic organization that facilitates the adoption of orphans with special needs. My family felt led by God to commit to two little girls who both have Down syndrome & other medical conditions and we began the adoption process to adopt internationally.

Adopting privately or internationally is incredibly expensive – the cost in eastern Europe average $24,000 for one child. Most families who choose to adopt an orphan with special needs do not have that kind of money laying around and thus must rely on grants, loans & donations to raise the funds necessary to rescue their child(ren) from orphanages & mental institutions.

I think that when people hear the term “adoption,” they picture a family deciding they want a(nother) child and that’s it. They do not realize that for many children, adoption is a matter of life or death. Literally. If the orphans who have special needs in eastern Europe do not get adopted, they get moved to a mental institution… an insane asylum… and they spend the rest of their life in a crib. For orphans with special needs, this is a death sentence because they will not get medical care when they are in a mental institution, and with inadequate food & inadequate interaction with other human beings, they don’t often have a long life after being transferred.

The Parker’s full adoption story can be found at Room for More and their fund at Reece’s Rainbow is here: Sponsor Parker’s

For more information on adopting special needs kids from other countries, or to donate to the Parkers or any other adoptive family, please visit Reece’s Rainbow.

Source: Anne Coleman

I never fit the mold because early on I learned to stand up for who I am and to compete where required. I smiled thinking, “When you fit the mold, you become moldy.” Moldy in this case refers to becoming stale.

Live as you

Following a script, conducting business or even living your life the same as everyone else, will bring you little recognition or reward. It’s when you step out to take calculated risk, try your hand at a venture that sounds exciting, and continue to learn that you begin to find true reward. You soon recognize the real you versus how others wish you to remain.

When you are at a stage of your life ready to move on and become the person you are destined to be, this is the point where you truly begin to develop your brand. Confidence to go forth and strike your fortune is usually the make it or break it aspect of your new venture. Usually confidence is the first area one needs to build upon. The second is to forego any notion of giving up. My favorite saying is, “When you give up you will never know what was just around the corner.”

The third phase is now that you know what you desire in your career or business, you must prioritize which idea to implement first. Just as you broke the mold for doing what you desire, you must also analyze what everyone else is doing.

Ask yourself:

• How can I put a different spin on what’s being done?
• Of all the ideas out there, what is missing that I may contribute?
• What are the best techniques for communicating what I have to offer?

Dedication, trial and error, and perseverance are the keywords for implementing the answers to those questions. Going it alone is very, very difficult – I can tell you that first hand. What did help was investing in coaching on an annual basis.

However, I didn’t begin to truly thrive until I learned to collaborate and help promote others whom I admire. Once this level of activity was reached, ideas began to multiply and business grew at a more rapid rate. Along with it came brand development.

Others recognized the speed with which my colleagues and I are able to adapt, implement and move forward. They repeatedly ask how we do it.

Therefore, Valeri Bocage, Sharon Hooper and I once again combined forces to create the Entrepreneur’s Business Retreat in the Sonoma Wine Country May 4-7. Everything we learned about moving from obstacles to success; dreaming, believing and achieving; how to utilize all media; and earning a returning and referring clientele will be taught. My colleagues and I are committed to helping you further develop your brand and success.

For the Agenda and to Register, please visit: http://bitly.com/SmoothSaleBizRretreat or call us today at (800) 704-1499.

And if you’re ever confused as to the value of newspaper editors, look at the blog world. That’s all you need to see. -Eric Schmidt

So, intrigued by this quote, I began thinking about editors. I believe the way Mr. Schmidt meant this quote to be taken was that editors are a vital part of the publications for which they work, there is an art to what they do and that without them we’d be overrun by useless lackluster content. I, however, read something entirely different into his words.

The age of blogging has brought with it the freedom for anyone around the world to publish their thoughts on any subject they wish to write about. This has led to a dramatic change in the amount of content available to readers and also a shift in the sources from which they get their content. When I look at the blog world I, unlike Mr. Schmidt, do not see a sea of boring, artless content unworthy of my attention and in desperate need of an editor’s touch. Instead I see an unprecedented amount of unique, original content produced by a broader and more diverse collection of writers from all corners of the globe. I see the raw–and thankfully unedited–voice of the people. Maybe most importantly, I see the opportunity to become my own editor because blogging not only gives all of us a voice, but also gives each of us the opportunity to choose for ourselves what to read, to watch, and to share. To suggest that I, or anyone else, needs an editorial staff to determine what is worthy of our attention is not only a bit insulting, but a bit archaic too.

I think the blog world can be compared to the world of American beer. It used to be that the American beer market was almost completely made up of a few large breweries. If you wanted a beer in America, you had a very limited choice. Then, over the course of the last couple of decades, there was a resurgence of home brewers and craft brewers in this country. Many of these brewers eventually started their own microbreweries and started selling beers that appealed to the segment of American beer drinkers who were bored by the comparatively flavorless beer being produced by the large beer makers. These microbreweries didn’t have the large quality assurance teams that the large breweries had, many of them probably didn’t even have a certified braumeister, or brew master. They were, however, still able to produce beers that people loved and this has led to thriving microbrewery, nanobrewery and home brew supply industries in the U.S.

The point here is that whether we are talking about beer or blogs, people want more choices and people are capable of deciding what they like and don’t like. People are also more than capable of producing their own products–or in the case of bloggers, content–when the usual outlets aren’t giving them what they want. Just as the emergence of craft beers in the American market is a sure sign that many beer drinkers were tired of the same old macrobrews and wanted something new and different, the emergence and growth of the blog world is indicative of a population bored and unwilling to trust the content published by the largest news sources and searching for a fresh perspective.

I think if we edit Mr. Schmidt’s quote down a bit, it is a bit more on point: Look at the blog world. That’s all you need to see. The Blog World is the closest thing we have ever seen to a truly free press that provides people of all nationalities, races, classes and religions with a platform to share their voice with the world. It is the only place where you can get the collective raw, unedited voice of the people and that’s an amazing thing. It is also the only place where truly free consumers are allowed the freedom to be their own editors and decide what gets read.

Editors provide an important service for the publications they serve. There is value in what they do and there is definitely still a place in this world for editors. Yet, with their ties to advertisers, parent corporations and/or governments there is just no place for them in the blog world. We like our media agenda-free, thanks.

Source: Jason Teitelman

The world is indeed becoming a small place and we all know that social media is a major reason why. As Facebook celebrated 500 million users on July 22, 2010 we can see how the world is becoming a much more open place. Facebook users come from all over the world. People are able to connect with others who in other ways would’ve been impossible. These interactions fly over oceans without users ever having to pay for the plane ticket. There are no boundaries or mountains to climb. I’m not saying “All Hail Facebook” but when put in this context its capabilities are truly  amazing for personal branding.

Thank you from Facebook

As a way to say thank you, Facebook  has created Facebook Stories, where users share their stories from around the world on how Facebook has impacted their lives. The feature will allow you to share your own story or read thousands of others. Stories are categorized by theme and location.  It’s amazing to read what people have already shared. The stories range from love stories,  inspirational, and health. It’s truly amazing when you grasp just  how many people have connected on Facebook. These people come from every walk of life and are able to connect because of social networks. With the ability to connect with individuals all over the world and tell your story… it is becoming increasingly easier to build a genuine personal brand.

A system to storytell

The future of building a personal network and connecting with individuals is here and it’s social media. Whether you like it or not, it’s changing the way we interact with one another. Social networks are creating a system where you can tell a story, and boundaries are becoming completely irrelevant. The way we share with one another has changed and we are becoming better at adapting to different cultures and customs. Why? Simply because we are able to interact with people regardless of location.  Ignorance is no longer an excuse due to the the amount of users  increasing each week. When there are no boundaries there is no limit to who you connect with and learn from (and build from). Facebook is accomplishing the goal of making the world a much more open place… giving you the opportunity to increase your personal brand exponentially… by telling your story.

How have you broadened your horizons with the help of Facebook or any other social networks? Do you agree that social boundaries are becoming extinct? And how does that help in the world of personal branding?

Author:

Kyle Lacy writes a regular blog at KyleLacy.com and is founder and CEO of Brandswag, a social media strategy and training company. His blog has been featured on Wall Street Journal’s website and Read Write Web’s daily blog journal. Recently, Kyle was voted as one of the top 150 social media blogs in the world (on two websites), and produces regular keynote speeches across the Midwest. He also just finished writing Twitter Marketing for Dummies by Wiley Publishing.

Related posts:

1. R.I.P Facebook as a Marketing Platform Last Monday, I wrote about how Twitter isn’t a marketing…
2. How Facebook May Have Ruined Its Brand Mark Zuckerberg had made it very clear that he doesn’t…
3. When the Boss Invades Facebook Top 3 Things To Do When Your Boss Finds You…

Source: Kyle Lacy

A Self-Publisher’s Companion is an uncommonly useful book about self-publishing from several perspectives:

• Decades of traditional publishing experience. As Joel described to me during a recent interview, his father was a printer who served New York City’s leading publishers. This provided him with hands-on experience in all facets of conventional, i.e., trade, publishing.
• Self-publishing during the 1980′s. In addition to his job as a production director at a high-end photography book publisher, Joel published his first book, Body Types. Joel’s Friedlander’s Body Types is still available, and has gone through 2 editions and 5 printings.
• Entrepreneurial success. In addition to writing and self-publishing a niche market book using traditional typesetting and printing resources, Joel leveraged his book into a series of 5-day workshops, 7-day workshops, and–even–7-week workshops. Joel knows first-hand how to convert a book into back-end speaking and information product profits.
• Publishing books by other authors. For about 12 years, Joel’s Marin Bookworks has been serving publishers and self-published authors, offering book design, book production, and publishing consulting. Joel’s a la carte services to other authors has helped him monitor and adapt today’s rapidly-advancing self-publishing strategies and technologies.

From blog to book

The final thing that helps set A Self-Publisher’s Companion apart is that–like many of today’s self-published brand-building books–the book originated as a series of blog posts.

Joel began his TheBookDesignerBlog.com in 2009. Joel blogs 7 days a week about all aspects of self-publishing, including writing, book cover design, typography and readability, publishing technology, and book marketing and promotion.

One of the points that came out of my interview with Joel was that A Self-Publisher’s Companion is more than a copy-and-paste compilation of blog posts.

A “particular type of book on self-publishing”

Positioning played a major role in his book right from the start. As he described during our interview, Joel had the idea of a uniquely-positioned book right from the start. To begin with, he knew what he didn’t want:

I didn’t want to do a book like the Self-Publishing Manual or The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing. These large encyclopedic books attempt to give you every piece of information you are ever going to need as a self-publisher. I mean, geez, Dan Poynter’s got what size Jiffy Bags you should buy! I didn’t want to get into that level of detail.

Instead, in his words:

The book I wanted to write would really give people an insight into what it means when you become a self-publisher, how you can tell if you have the right kind of temperament to do it, what kind of marketing goes on now for self-published books, how you get them printed.

In short:

We give people kind of an overview of the whole process and help orient them to this kind of new world of almost instant, low-cost, self-publishing.

In response to one of my questions at this point, Joel admitted that, at some points, book considerations sometimes come before blog posts are written. Some posts were written because topics were needed to flesh-out his ideas for particular chapters of his book.

Joel Friedlander’s blogging tips

Anyone interested in a first-hand look at Joel’s experiences writing and self-publishing a book based on his blog can preview the type of information in A Self-Publisher’s Companion by reading his post, How I’m Going to Blog my Book–And You Can Too.

Other points brought up during our interview was his working habits for writing his daily blog posts:

I usually write my blog in the mornings: I’m probably down now to about 45 minutes to write a 1,000 word post. Then, in the evening, I’ll format it, edit it, and post it up.

Joel’s writing habits also include occasionally writing a few blog posts in advance. He also uses WordPress’s Draft feature to capture ideas for later use.

If I have an idea and I’m sitting at my computer, I just put the title in and maybe one sentence I want to write about and I save that. When I come back, it’s there waiting for me.

Other tools that help Joel keep track of ideas include Evernote, which he uses extensively, “It’s really, really good.”

Joel also uses the voice recorder option of his iPhone to record ideas when he’s away from his computer:

More people should use the voice recorder on their phones. If you have a phone that allows you to do a voice memo, that’s a fantastic way to keep track of stuff that you would ordinarily forget. I’ve actually recorded podcasts on my phone, on the voice recorder, and packaged them up and put them on the web later. It’s fantastic!

Getting started self-publishing

In closing, Joel recommended one of his most popular blog posts, 26 Ways to Win at Self-Publishing, which was expanded by comments from readers who had successfully self-published a book. He also encouraged everyone:

Just Get Started. Get the book out there. If money is an issue or if you don’t want to go into print, do an ebook first. Test your ideas. Test your title. See if anybody responds. See how you feel about marketing the book.

What are your feelings about self-publishing a book to build your personal brand? Have you already self-published a book, or are you seriously considering it? What’s holding you back? What are the obstacles that keep you from moving forward? If you’ve already read A Self-Publisher’s Companion, what did you think? Share your comments and questions, below.

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