We Have to Stay Positive!

The economy is taking its time in getting back to where it was just a few short years ago. Perhaps we were living in a dream world where we were spending too much and spending on credit. We all know how it has turned out. There is a lot of misery out there and rightfully so. People have lost their nest eggs and realize that there will be no early retirement packages available for them. Or if there is, it just doesn’t make sense to retire at this point in their lives.

I have to believe though that the economy is turning around. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona where there seems to be a lot of spending. I believe that there are places and companies that are doing extremely well if not better in this economy. Companies like the Apollo group that own the University of Phoenix and other online communities. These businesses are booming. People realize that the only way to get ahead is through education. We need to be stronger, and smarter to compete in this changing world economy. We have to think differently. And we have to cope with all of these changes.

I have a friend who lives in Las Vegas. Do you know he has never owned a computer until now. He has never had an email until now. We grew up together and he’s in his mid 40s. He told me once, “Why should I get one, if I want to talk to someone, I call them up on the phone.” I am not sure why he decided to finally get a computer but my point is that we as a nation, have to act quickly and move fast to move our economy along.

Personally, I have always been one that goes with the flow and usually I have the latest and greatest toy or at least I know what they are. But it took me a long time to get a new phone. I opted for the new iPhone and I LOVE IT! I can’t believe my last phone was a rotary cell phone. Do you know how long it takes to dial a radio station with one of those???? All kidding aside, it’s nice to be so connected again. And Apple for whom I own stock is one of those companies that is and should be a model for every company out there. They are true visionaries who don’t rest on their laurels. They’re constantly observing and creating new products. There was a time a few years back where some thought Apple was a joke and didn’t think they would make it. But look at them now!

We have to create new companies that look at life like Apple does; companies that push the envelope. Companies that think postitive about the future WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE for us all. We as individuals need to stay positive and think progressively towards our futures. And sometimes that might mean doing something that scares us! Change can be terribly scary to some. But we have to look at all areas of our lives and see where we can improve and how we can make better citizens and still have fun and still make a difference.

How Social Media Sites can work for Boomers!

 

The Sedona Devil Chicken CD Cover Artwork

At 47, I’m considered the last age of the Boomer Generation and my brother Alex  at 62 is on the front lines. We’re both embracing the “Social Media” frenzy not just because we have to but it’s fun. We’ve always embraced technology and both of us have very different businesses. My brother lives and works as an appraiser in Sedona, AZ. And to combat the slow economy, he has started AEN Productions (an audio radio theater company). To get the word out, he knew that he wanted to reach more than locals and tourists but he wasn’t sure how. That’s where I come in and Intense Media. My background is in graphic arts (advertising and media). I’ve had past experience in screenwriting, greeting card writing and design, and knowledge with Facebook and Myspace. These were new things to Alex. So how was he going to get the word out?

 

Both of us have looked hard at the state of the economy and have decided that we both are very talented individuals and together we could be very strong. So we joined forces and produced an audio book on CD. It’s in the genre of “Radio Theater,” which is like the old radio programs of the 1940s and 50s (the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger). Alex came up with a wild interpretation of a famous fish movie and created the Sedona Devil Chicken. It’s the story of a 9 foot chicken/dinosaur that terrorizes Sedona, AZ. He was responsible for writing the script, casting the voice actors, directing, editing, and composing some of the music and sound effects. It’s a fabulous creation that’s fun for the whole family. My job is to do the backend: marketing, helping with production, package and collateral design, and distribution.

I developed a program I like to call our five fingered approach: Radio, Television, Magazine, Newspaper, and Web 2.0. I built a matrix of companies to whom we felt we would appeal to. Not everyone on our list was a candidate, but we wanted to saturate the media the best we could. By the way, we’re in the midst of building that list at this moment. We decided that since I had a strong marketing background, that I would be in charge of the media launch but we would wait until the product actually arrived. 

We realized right away that in order to make this work, we were going to have to embrace the “Social Media” sites to get the word out! I’ve always had a MySpace and Facebook, page but by thrusting myself into the mix of other social media sites, not only did I find more information and avenues to market, I found that i enjoyed the process. Now we both have sites relating to our current work and we’re both embracing the network of Social Media sites. This blog is a component of Web 2.0 and Social Media as it’s known today. Boomers have to embrace this technology in order to move forward. The pulse of America can be found on these sites, and it’s a great way to guage what others think. What I think is particularly interesting is that at first my brother wanted me to do all of the marketing and content generation, but as he learned more about the technology and saw how simple it is to get a twitter account and a blog, he’s taking a more involved approach. It’s new in every sense of the word, yet it’s pretty much all the same things we’ve been doing for years. We’re just telling more people!

Turning the Economy Around in Your Favor!

So what are we going to do in this “tough” economy. Personally, I believe the economy is going to come around. I look at the amount of information that people have in their noggins is gold. We have brilliant people working in all facets of the economy, it’s just that there is some fear that is overiding our ability to move forward. And what do all the self-help gurus (Napoleon Hill, Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins) tell you to do? In the face of adversity, face fear and do it anyway. That’s a pretty bold statement, but let’s think about it for a minute. Let’s look at dating. When a guy sees a beautiful woman across the bar, what’s he going to do? If he’s nervous and/or shy and hesitant, he may miss his chance. He could have all of the greatest qualities in the world, but if he doesn’t act in a timely manner, he may lose the girl. Chances are the confident, calm man who approaches will win her over by being just that. If you take a chance and just be yourself, just do the things you normally do, the statistics are in your favor. This may be a simplistic look at the eonomy, but let’s go a little further.

Let’s say you have a small company and business is tight. There are many out there like you so don’t feel that bad. However, you know that if you don’t get some business in the doors, you’ll probably have to shut down. So what are you going to do? You need to impress upon others your value. The value of doing business with you and your “CONFIDENCE” that you portray to others will win you new business. People want to do business with companies that are going to be around. It’s your mission to walk the walk, and talk the talk. That’s what’s going to drive this economy forward. Feel the fear and do it anyway. We are America and America has faced adversity in a plethora of ways. It’s in our blood to continue, to fight, and to succeed. We will not back down. We will keep going and succeed!

Make a Better World, By Making a Better You!

If I want the world I live in to be a better place, than I have to make a stand and make a difference every day. From the moment I wake up til the time I close my eyes, I have full control over my actions and attitudes. It’s my belief that if you start with a great attitude and a positive one at that, then anything is possible. I always tell my colleagues that if I have one person that believes in me, I can do great things. But you know what? That belief system starts with you! It has to start at the source. If you don’t believe in yourself, who do you expect will believe in what you have to say?

Intense Media is a Social Media Company that helps smaller publishers make a name for themselves by cultivating a marketing presence utilizing social media sites. We help set up fan-based pages on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flikr, Friendster, WordPress, LinkedIn, and many more. We will also help with design, packaging, traditional marketing, advertising, content creation, copywriting, web, film, audio, and copyrights and trademark assistance. We’re a full-service marketing company. We want to help every body make a name for themselves and we believe we can attain greatness by sharing quotes, and stories, and antedotes on how we can make a difference. I know we can do it.