Why Women Entrepreneurs Need to Raise Girl Entrepreneurs | Julie Gordon-...

I love the world of entrepreneurship because entrepreneurs tend to be individualistic yet appreciate society as a whole.  They show the world their ideas, and they act upon them--not afraid of failing or making mistakes.  If they fail, they may cry for two seconds, and then either rework the concept or jump to another concept, and try again.  Entrepreneurs are risk takers--mostly likely calculated risk takers.  They are passionate about their ideas, their dreams.  They are doers.  They research and build their concept into a reality. 

 We need more women to be entrepreneurs. 

Even if you don't have daughters, watch this video because you may have nieces, sisters and cousins.  By empowering and encouraging girls to think entrepreneurially, they are being taught to be strong, independent and confident in themselves and their identities.  

Raise a girl entrepreneur and watch her rise as she becomes a woman.   

Win the Wedding of a Lifetime - 1,353 feet in the Sky

 Today, Willis Tower, the iconic Chicago skyscraper, announced the return of its annual social media contest giving couples the opportunity to win a romantic Valentine’s Day wedding ceremony atop the highest observation deck in America -- Skydeck Chicago’s 103rd floor, 1,353 feet in the sky. Beginning today, Monday, January 9th, couples can submit video entries for a chance to win the ultimate wedding ceremony above the majestic Chicago skyline. The contest will run until Thursday, February 2, 2017.Wedding ceremony/vow renewals take place on Sunday, February 12^th.

Adventurous couples looking for a unique way to tie the knot or renew their vows can enter the Skydeck Chicago Wedding Contest by submitting a video entry at the Skydeck Facebook page. In two minutes or less, contestants should explain why they should win the wedding ceremony of a lifetime atop Chicago’s most iconic landmark. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, couples are encouraged to share their most romantic stories; how they met; why they want to spend their lives together, or how their love has stood the test of time. Submissions can be uploaded now through Tuesday, January 31^st. Four couples will be selected and notified on Thursday, February 2, 2017. (One entry per couple, maximum two minutes in length.)

Winning couples will exchange vows from The Ledge’s glass floor balconies that extend 4.3 feet from the skyscraper’s famed 103^rd floor. Accompanied by up to eight guests, each couple will enjoy a private 15-minute ceremony with the Chicago skyline as the backdrop. Each picture-perfect couple will receive a complimentary photo on The Ledge taken by Willis Tower’s in-house photographer. At the ceremony’s conclusion, the newlyweds and their guests will celebrate with a champagne toast and receive wedding gifts from Chicagoland-based lifestyle brand, Crate and Barrel.

Willis Tower and Skydeck Chicago are no strangers to Love on The Ledge. Last year, couples submitted videos for their chance to win a wedding ceremony at the Skydeck. Five couples were selected for four weddings and one vow renewal. Five couples were selected for four weddings and one vow renewal. In addition to winning this unique wedding ceremony, couples also received a fantastic prize package that included a romantic two-night weekend stay in a suite at the Hyatt Centric the Loop Chicago.

To date, there have been 867 marriage proposals, 89 weddings, 15 vow renewals and hundreds of private “Pie in the Sky” dates on The Ledge.

Guest Post: Why All Businesses Should Be Using Video in 2017 to Grow Their Business

by

Andrea Kalli

Videos works!  We know that, but too many just don’t use them.  Why?  Mainly fear.  Fear that they won’t get the results they hoped for.  Fear they won’t know how to effectively use them.  Or fear that they are too expensive for their budgets.  Some even fear needing to go in front of the camera.  The good news is businesses have no reason to fear.  Videos are not only affordable and easy to use, but also one of the best ways to market.  And today, if you don’t want to go in front of the camera, there is no need to do so. It’s that simple!

When you realize stats like those mentioned recently in a recent SmallBizTrend article that state that “80 percent of users recall a video ad they viewed in the past 30 day,” you can see why you should be using videos.  Another example mentioned in that same article stated, “According to 70 percent of marketers, video produces more conversions than any other type of content.”  Can you see the power of video? You should!

So let’s face these fears and break it down.

Why Use Video:

·         Videos provide a way to remain “top of mind.” What does that mean exactly?  It means, when someone sees your logo, they think of you.  They remember you from your video.  They feel they know you because the video adds that level of comfort and confidence. 

·         Videos provide a visually robust way to evoke a strong emotion and get viewers to take action. If you’re struggling to get your audience to react to your content, video will solve this. So will you get results, absolutely!

·         Videos introduce your company, business philosophy, and services/products and help to build your brand awareness.  What better way to show who you are and what you do.

·         Videos help with all your marketing. Videos should be used not only on your website, but in all your social media, emails, newsletters, and more.

·         Videos provide a means to regularly stay in contact with clients through education-based, warm and friendly, non-sales content.

·         Today videos are so affordable that having an ongoing commitment is easy to do and encouraged.

·         There are so many methods to do videos, if you won’t want to get in front of the camera; there is no need to do so.  For example, you can do an audio-only voice recording that will be used with other video clips, images, animations, text and music. You can outsource a video spokesperson to present the message on your behalf. You can use hand drawn whiteboard sketch or illustrated animations and characters.

·         Videos provide a way to showcase the holidays.  What better way to say “happy holidays” than with a video with your company logo on it!  And this isn’t just for the major holidays, but throughout the year as well for all special occasions.

·         And so much more

Who can most benefit with video?  Truly any business can benefit by making videos part of their marketing plan.  However, these businesses truly do gain traction:  marketing companies, real estate agents, speakers, coaches, authors, virtual assistant businesses, and more.

Now you understand video better, how can you find someone who can get the job done for you? Simple.  Look for someone who has the best tools for the job. For example,   Adobe After Effects, Sony Vegas Pro, Explaindio for whiteboard videos are some of the high-end tools needed to create excellent videos.

So what’s stopping you?  Start an aggressive video marketing campaign now and see just how great your results will be. Need help?  It’s easy look for someone who offers solely video production or specializes mainly in it.  They are dedicated to making great videos that will shine a positive light on your business year after year.

Andrea Kalli at http://www.virtualassist.net/ has been supporting businesses with marketing since 2005, and in 2014 dedicated her focus to putting video as the forefront of her services.  She enjoys the creative and technical aspects of creating videos and video marketing and being able to bring her clients’ vision to life.

HuffPost Women: 48 Things Men Hear In A Lifetime (That Are Bad For Everyone)

Earlier this month, HuffPost Women's viral video "48 Things Women Hear In A Lifetime (That Men Just Don't)" showed the subtle sexism women are subjected to throughout their lives. However, since sexism doesn't exist in a vacuum, the same team is turning the idea around with a new video entitled "48 Things Men Hear In A Lifetime (That Are Bad For Everyone)."

This video shows that the messages men (young and old) hear - "be a man!" "boys don't cry!" "pink is a girl's color!" - all boil down to the same idea: "don't be a woman." Telling men they're not "real men" unless they're tough, financially successful, strong and authoritative not only hurts those that don't fit into these confined parameters but hurts women too. 

The cycle of sexism will never end if we continue to equate traditionally "feminine" qualities as "bad." To hear from the men themselves check out HuffPost Women's video here .  

First TED talk on abortion by Pro-Voice author Aspen Baker

Aspen Baker, author of  Pro-Voice: How to Keep Listening When the World Wants a Fight and  founder of an Oakland based non-profit called Exhale, recently gave the first ever TED talk on abortion.  Both Aspen's organization and book provides the necessary tools to facilitate compassionate, respectful engagement for anyone who wants a safe space to discuss their honest feelings about the contentious topic of abortion.

To learn more about Aspen, click here.