Not that I want to open up with a cheesy line from a film or anything, but as I’d been thinking about what I wanted to write about today, what keeps coming up over and over and over again, is: “If you build it, they will come.” The popular line taken from 1989 hit film, Field of Dreams…starring Kevin Costner, is something that often comes to mind when I am wondering about an idea, thinking about what to say, putting something out there…whatever.

I’m a big dreamer/thinker. I believe people can do anything they want to if they put true intention behind it. I’ve been that way my entire life. I’ve heard people say I’m crazy, or unrealistic, and I’ve always thought to myself, “They have no idea who they’re dealing with,” or “It must be so sad to be so closed-minded and un-ambitious.” The list could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. This could tie into one of my favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde: “Those who live within their means suffer from lack of imagination.”

I look at social media the same way. I believe HUGE things can happen when small or large businesses begin to build with social media. The key word here: BUILD.

Here we are, in a time where anything that anyone wants to say, any message that one wants to put out there, any video, song, book…you name it, there is a platform available in the social sphere to do it.

I will never understand why some still question the power of social media. Some still question what type of “ROI” they will get. I really don’t know if a number can be placed on building relationships or building a tribe.  It’s like getting the cart before the horse.  I mean, yes, there is legitimacy in when a CMO or COO needs to see the bottom line raise as marketing dollars are being spent. But these things don’t happen overnight. It takes time, commitment, and belief.

My career started as a marketing director for a small business here in Indianapolis. Someone introduced me to a social media platform where I could blog. I’m not one of those people who was on the “cutting edge” of blogging for years and years.

It was when I began blogging about the company I worked for, and really started to fall in love with social media…meeting people, getting meetings because what I was writing about placed some value on the company, that it showed me that through writing and building relationship, there was a community of supporters.  I am now able to do what I LOVE for a living, and there is nothing better than that.

I was (still am) a marketer who is looking for new ways to get my company’s message out, and now, the companies who hire me.

I have a business that is based in social media. I have experienced firsthand, the growth that can occur in a business sense, by being involved in an online community, be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, and the many others that are available.  But I also understand that no amount can be placed on the relationships that I’ve been able to build which have taken me to the different levels of growth. How are you building today?

Call me a ghost. Call me a copywriter. Call me an editor. (And thank you, Entrepreneur Magazine for the mention in your February issue.)  I’ve heard it all, and the debate over this thing called ghost blogging still continues, right? But really, in my opinion, that’s okay. For those of you who don’t write for a living, it takes time.

For those of you who DO write, you get that. One of my problems is actually taking time out for myself to write because as a business owner, my clients get first priority.

I’m always amazed at how authors seem to consistently blog. My friend, Chris Brogan is always writing, always on the road, and always doing amazing things for people and organizations. How he does it, and still manages to knock out a great blog nearly everyday makes me pretty much look up to him in awe. (auhhhh.)

But not everyone can do it like he does it. Not everyone can write amazing books and blogs. However, more and more people are turning to the blogging and social media realm in order to be a part of this community that has been paved for us. Reasons for this can range anywhere from someone just wanting to be heard, to someone who is passionate about their business and has beneficial information for those who need it. Here is the open platform.

That being said, I feel blogging is a necessity. (I know I need to be more proactive in this area for me, which is something I’m committing to.) So, for those of you who don’t have the time, the skill, or don’t understand how this works, here are some tips I have. These are all things I do with my clients.

• Hire a copywriter or ghost writer – If you know you need to do it, and you don’t have the time or energy, hire someone. Outsource this. You can choose to have them write under their name, or yours (and you can do this ethically…and I’ll tell you why in a sec.) Bottom line is, don’t keep talking about it or thinking about it. Get your name out there. Get your ideas out there.  Oh, and as far as budget is concerned, nearly all of my clients put me in the marketing category.

• Teach your writing style – If you are going to have someone write for you under your name, give your ghost writer a sample of previous work. This could be a past blog or a previous presentation of some sort.  This helps in the entire process. The biggest reason it’s so helpful is for little things like, some of my clients prefer to not use conjunctions. Some are way more lax in their writing style. It’s little things like that, that really make a difference.

• Schedule a weekly call – Okay, sometimes it’s not always a phone call. I have clients all over the world, so AIM and email are definitely just as useful. I hold my clients accountable to sending me their ideas. Afterall, it is their blog. I typically get the idea, the main points, and any research thereafter is my responsibility. I am also a huge fan of collaboration and linking. So, if one of my peers out there is talking about something worth continuing to share, I do. Then I give them some link love. (In other words, mention them and link back to where the content is that you’re sharing.) But the main thing…your ghost wants to work for you, so be sure to give them the points so they can craft the post to it’s entirety.

• Turn edits around quickly – (and please don’t be too controlling) Okay, what I mean by this is writers have schedules they adhere to. Or at least I do. I block certain times out for writing and I also have things like business development that still need to happen. The quicker you can get edits to your writer, the quicker we can get things posted, shared, tweeted, and promote what you are saying. I live by my calendar during the week. It’s my checklist. It’s extremely helpful to work with clients who are prompt and responsible. Then you become the dream client. Also, don’t be afraid to say what you like or don’t like. We need to know these things.

There are many great writers out there. Let us help you get your message out if you’re unable to do it. If you’re currently working with a ghost and they’re not up to par, don’t be afraid to go with someone else if you’ve had a conversation and things aren’t getting better.  I hope this list helps. Any questions?

I have taken some time off over this past holiday. I typically tweet and FB on a daily basis. I also spend a lot of time thinking about my clients, how I can rock it out for them, and make lists of things that need to be done or blog topics that need to be covered in my (or their) voice. But for a total of eight days, I hardly did anything. I sat back. I reflected. I spent time with my daughter, friends, and family…and watched A LOT of movies. I guess you could say I “renewed.”

So often, we (I) get caught up in “go, go, go.” It’s easy for me to drown in work and the everyday drama that occurs. I see myself sometimes making excuses and justifying. I want to stop that this year. I want to stop, not by making some “resolution” to do so, but by taking action and BEING who I really am, and then being okay with how it is I feel…good, bad, or ugly. People are not always going to agree with you. Many of you know this. I’m in my early 30’s and it still hurts my feelings when people don’t like me. Isn’t that silly? But when I really think about it, being in this thing called “social media” has seriously got me thinking about how social space has changed things for me so much in the past 4 years.

I was absolutely moved by an article I read yesterday on how to utilize social media for voicing worries and sharing concerns. One of my favorite things from the article is this:

As risky as it maybe to expose oneself to the unknowns out there, one should never forget the possibility of easily being hurt and betrayed by those who are “close” as well. With that in mind, I guess social media provides many different ways in which one could vent and feel at unity with others out there seeking peace of mind and healing of the heart and soul!

Mental health is one of the most important things we can have. I was just having a conversation about this with a friend the other day. I don’t care how many of us “think” we have it together. It takes a village, in my opinion, to keep us together. I am one of the most positive people that my friends know (at least that’s what “they” say), but it’s not like I have amazing days all the time. We all have feelings of loneliness, or sadness, or something that we may not even be able to put our finger on. Perhaps that’s why I’m always preaching about community. Maybe it’s because at my lowest times, all I have to do is reach out to my online social space, and there is always someone there to make me laugh, talk to me, and be my friend.

I have made some of my best friends online. Some of these friends were not a part of my life a year ago. I love it! But it took going through crazy times in order to see the blessings. I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve faced over the past 12 months. I am also grateful for a New Year to improve on what I’ve begun…my business, my continual role as a mother, and my continual role as a friend. I guess my challenge to you this next year, is to reach out to people and be as real as you possibly can. It’s not worth keeping your feelings to yourself. If you’re happy, I want to be happy with you. If you’re sad, I want to be able to lift you up. If you’re celebrating, I want to be able to celebrate with you. And if there is ever the opportunity you can make to get together with your online community, take it and love it. And if there is ever a time to start living authentically, it is now. 

Here’s to new friendships in 2010. And here’s to making business personal.

Cheers.

(In these photos: Chris Brogan, Suzanne Zaleski, Kelly Olexa)

Do you know how many times I have heard that one of my favorite bands has been in town and I had no idea? It’s always the “next day,” and I’m like, “What, how in the heck did I miss that?” A lot!

Well, first off, I don’t put myself in the ‘tech geek’ category (no offense anyone), because I don’t consider myself one. I’m not the ‘all-knowing’ Foursquare girl either. I’ve just begun playing with it. I immerse myself in social media because I love people and creating relationships. Much of my world is online. I’m writing this because it makes sense to me.

Secondly, if I want to find out if a good band is playing in my area, sure, I could pick up the local alternative newspaper, NUVO, and see what’s happening. I typically have one each week. The problem is half the time, I don’t read it. This is mainly because I’m crazy busy with writing, working, and playing in my own band.  I typically hit up the local music scene once a week, but I hear about these happenings from my friends, bandmates, and Facebook.

Okay, that being said…enter…Foursquare (and yes, I am addicted and still a newbie). Not everyone knows what Foursquare is. If you do, please skip this next section…I’d hate to bore you. For newcomers, Foursquare is a location-based social network to help you connect with friends using GPS via your mobile device. Jennifer Van Grove wrote an extremely informative post about Foursquare back in July, 2009. (This is a GREAT post and she really explains the history of location-based social networking (LBS), which I won’t go into), but I’ll give a short summary on what Foursquare is: You have an application on your mobile device, much like Twitter. Every time you go someplace, you check in. You earn points. It’s like an adventure…a game. The more you check in, the more badges you earn.

You grow your friend base, just as you do with every social network. Folks can accept you, or not. Once your friends are connected to you, you automatically get their updates (or you can choose to not) when they check in places. I choose to get the updates because if I’m at Trader Joes, and so is Justin Keller, I’m going to keep my eye out to say hi and give him a big hug (because Justin is super cool). Or, if I’m at a movie theater and my buddy, Joel Smith happens to be there as well, I can pop him a text to see what he’s seeing. Perhaps he’s seeing the same movie I am. My night just got better because we would end up connecting and watching it together (because that’s what friends do). It’s actually a really fun way to stay connected. Foursquare also allows you the option of posting your updates on Twitter.

Another way you can earn points is by recommending something at the place you are. For example, let’s say I’m eating at Zest, which is one of my favorite local restaurants here in Indy. I would recommend on Foursquare, that everyone should try the fish tacos because they are heaven in your mouth. No joke. If I recommend this, and Chad Richards sees that he has to try these fish tacos, he can put it in his ‘to do’ list. I earn points for the recommendation, he’s earns points for checking off this particular ‘to-do’ that I’ve recommended. AND we’ve contributed economically to the local restaurant scene.  

Now, if I’m getting ready to head off to Chicago.  I can change the city location in my mobile phone, and all of my friends in Chicago can know where I’m at and vice versa. I can have friends all over the country, and my phone isn’t blowing up all the time because my location allows me to only receive the updates of my friends in that same area. Make sense? If it doesn’t, read Jennifer’s article. She does an excellent job at really explaining it.

What I see with Foursquare is that it has HUGE potential for bands and artists. If underground up and coming musicians build a fan-base via Foursquare and go on tour, this is a perfect way to connect with their fans who don’t know they’re going to be in town ahead of time. If The Ting Tings are playing at the Vogue theatre in Broadripple, you can pretty much bet that I’m dropping what I have going on and heading to a show.  Let’s say they’re in town for half a day prior to the show beginning. You see they’re in your neighborhood, what a great time to pop by where they are. Make some friends and let them meet their fans. (Not stalker-style…that’s just not cool.) I’m talking about artists connecting with fans and other artists. I don’t see this working for snotty musicians. I DO see it working for personable ones who want to be involved with their fan-base (like me).

My new band, (we’re still deciding on a name…any input would be great at this point) which is playing its first show on Friday, March 5th at Talbott Street, is going to eat this up. (And BTW, that show is a Girls Rock! Indy benefit show…more on that later.) Bottom line, we will create the music, build the foundation, and connect with our fans via Foursquare, all over the country. My suggestion…if you are an artist, hop onto Foursquare and start building. Start playing. If it gets one or two more people out to your show, and then they go back and share with their friends how rockin it was, it was well worth it.

Some people may call it a “game” but it is way more than that if you really think about it. There’s a reason why Foursquare has been said to have the potential to be the “Twitter” of 2010. Are you connected? What are your thoughts?

I wanted to post the following post. My dear friends, Daniel Herndon and Darren Heil, have vowed to stay in a van until they raise money for a cause. With a press release, a bit of local news initiative, and an entire community of social media advocates, we intend to get them home straitaway. Please read the following post and understand how we take giving and social media to a whole new level. I donated. Will you?

At Redwall LIVE we are always trying to support a good cause, in our personal lives it is no different, but we were looking for really creative ways to do a focused campaign for Non Profit’s whose campaigns we could really connect with. In an effort to give our talents to the community I approached CFI (Community First Initiative) about serving them and putting together an experiential campaign to raise money and awareness for their program that makes a lifelong impact on high school students. They Partner with Schools to provide their 40 developmental assets mentoring program. They welcomed us and we put together the following event. The campaign is  Experiential, Interactive and Involves Social Media in a major way. I’d like to especially thanks Pet Supplies Plus Stores and Deep Ripples: an Organic Search Marketing company for supporting this cause as sponsors.

Darren Heil (Director of CFI) and I (Owner of Redwall LIVE) will be living in a van starting this Wednesday (December 9th 2009)… that is an old 70s chevy van that has nothing but an old couch and a couple bucket seats in it. We’ll be bringing a web cam and a couple laptops with air cards so we can still work, and so we can tweet!

Above us will be a digital billboard that will be displaying frequent updates and directing drive by traffic to take notice of us in the van and donate at www.forkout.org. Forkout.org is “the giving engine of Redwall LIVE”. We created forkout.org merely so we could create experiential events just to support a cause. CFI is the first.

Local Media is covering the event including an article in the IndyStar. Even Mcallisters Deli Restaurants in the Indianapolis area are participating by collecting donations at the counter.

This is really made possible by social media to spread the story virally through pier to pier communication. Social media is a must with Experiential Marketing. We will be interacting with donors and viewers all over the world via twitter and the hashtag #forkout (some tweets will even make it to the billboard). Many will watch the event unfold via webcast at forkout.org. Thanks to bloggers like Kyle Lacy, Lindsay Manfredi and myself the story is finding its way to several popular blog sites and tweeted by many. Twitter Enables us to have real time conversation from people at their desks, in their cars, with their families or at work and connect to thousands of people all over the world. Simultaneously the webcast will invite people at work to watch frequent 9 minute webisodes as well as “a day in the life” through the whole procedure. Blogging shares the story of our cause and our campaign with the world in detail. With all the support and integrated social media, we estimate we will be connecting to over 150,000 people over the course of the 10 day experience.

Our goal is $25,000 in 10 days… we only need 1000 people to donate $25. But consider this. $25,000 is 10% of the annual budget of CFI, so how can we carry this on beyond the 10 days to help students?

Daniel Herndon

This has been such a crazy year for me. Monumental I would think. I’ve started a company, moved to Indianapolis, and I’m currently going through a divorce and it SUCKS. (Phew…I said it out loud.) I’ve been in one band that split and have jumped into a whole new one. I get to be part of a not-for-profit that will be kicking it HUGE in 2010 called Girls Rock Indy (a rock n roll camp for girls ages 9-16). I’m beginning to really find out who Lindsay Manfredi is, I believe, for the first time in a long while.

I think we go through stages of growth, yes? I had one in my teens, one in my early twenties, one in my later twenties (after childbirth). Now, I stand here in THIS one, at 31 years old. THIS one is perhaps the hardest. The transition…the transition from relying on someone else and having a family there 24/7 to going out on my own again.  The transition of making some of the hardest decisions of my life based upon what was not working. The transition of having to let go in order to be ready to receive. To be honest, the guilt has been heavy. The tears have flowed easily, yet through it all, I am still happy. I still love. And I am still grateful for what I have…excited for what is to come. I have found a true passion. I have found a passion for life and for helping others through my experience while creating new ones. This “thing” or “journey” or however you want to label it, that I am on, I will do with INTENTION.

I had a friend who used to say that everyone would always be around for the party. It’s when the party is over that people show their true colors. I have seen the good and the bad. My key has been to focus on the good…the pure…the love. I am blessed to have love. I am blessed to be part of a community that gives. 

I thank God daily for these things. I thank him for my beautiful Bella Milan, the 5-year old that drives me. I thank Him for my past, which has made me who I am today. I thank Him for the future… who I am to become, but most of all, I thank Him for the moment I am in right now. That is the one thing we have…THIS moment.

While we are here, how can we make a difference for someone else? How can we integrate our passion into loving and serving others? Now THAT is a fulfilling moment. A purpose driven life (and no, I’ve not read the book, though I’ve heard it’s amazing).

My challenge to you today is go out and truly make a difference in someone’s life…in MANY lives. Create abundance within yourself and you have brightened the world with your presence. Share your gratitude, and you make a difference.  It’s truly that simple. You don’t have to be brilliant to be BRILLIANT.  You don’t have to be rich to be RICH. You don’t have to give everything to GIVE something.

If you just BE…and LOVE…and SHARE…those are some of life’s most precious of gifts.

There is a delicate balance in life. I think those who understand that have tapped into something special.  You can tap into YOUR special. We were all created with intention. Let’s now live with that intention and truly make this world a better place…even if it’s only for one person.

I wish you all an amazing Thanksgiving…full of abundance and gratitude.

This post is part of the “Indy Tweetsgiving 2009: Change the World with Gratitude” collection of blog posts aimed at two things: (1) celebrating what we’re thankful for and (2) raising money for worthy causes.

If you want to learn more, click here.

Here are some more awesome Indy people who participated in this!

Scott Wise

Scott Semester

Angie Six

Robby Slaughter

Nila Nealy

Michael Reynolds

Nicki Laycoax

Pamela Reilly

Amy Stark

I need to open this up by saying how humbled I was yesterday by the amount of emails, direct messages, phone calls, and texts that came in to see how I was doing in light of some things that were said about my profession and business.  I want to thank you all for your support and love. My community lifted me up and for that, I am entirely grateful.

When I decided to write about what I do for a living last week in my blog, there were no defenses up. It was not a post defending my profession at all; it was simply one to inform you on how I run my particular business. It was to inform you of how I work one-on-one with my clients to package THEIR message. This was a direct-result post following a national magazine interview on the subject of ghost blogging. This, however, has not been the beginning of the debate. A few months back, Jason Falls interviewed me for an article he was doing on the same subject entitled, The Ethics, or Lack Thereof, of Ghost blogging. I would like to mention a few things from this article as well as a quote by me.

“Doug Karr, an outstanding Internet marketing consultant and social media thinker in his own right, wrote in reaction to my aforementioned talk, “Ghostblogging isn’t a dirty word nor is it a dirty profession, it’s an incredible one. A great ghostblogger investigates the source and accurately writes the posts on behalf of them.” He continues, “As long as the premise of those blog posts are your message, why would anyone care that someone else typed it up?”

Jason goes onto say,

“I know what Doug is shooting for here, but there’s a big difference in someone who takes dictation and writes for you. I would stipulate that if the named author is actively involved in writing the piece — dictating outlines, emphasizing points to cover and actively editing the document — I have much less of an issue and would consider the writer a copywriter/editor rather than a ghost writer.”

Similarly, Lindsay Manfredi of Linzstar, who blogs for several clients and bills herself as a ghost blogger, told me this:

“I don’t encourage my clients to hide, I am simply assisting in the bigger picture. Ultimately, it’s their ideas that are being blogged. And I also have clients who write their own, give it to me to edit and expand on, and then post away to the community they are marketing. Everyone is different, and everyone has a say. At least that is how I operate my business.”

Back to Jason:

“Still, there are some fantastic and talented writers out there not only writing materials for companies and their executives, but selling their wares as “ghost blogging,” or “ghost writing.” They are honest, ethical, genuine people earning a living loaning their talents to those who don’t have the aforementioned time, acumen or intelligence to compose pieces for their audiences.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, as a ghost writer, I work with my clients. I always will. I am not just handed someone’s blog admin and told to “go for it.” I hold my clients accountable to sending me ideas and points, and I create the content around it. Once again, THEIR content.

Chris Brogan wrote a piece today in his newsletter about authenticity. He says the following:

“Authenticity and transparency mean being clear about what matters to you, being clear about your intentions, being open about what you’re asking of your clients, your employees, everyone in the circle around you. There are times when matters are meant to be handled in private.

There are many circumstances that don’t belong in the bright light of the public, not least of all on the internet. Examples can be anything from helping an employee find drug treatment solutions, to loaning money to a struggling entrepreneur. There are many situations that deserve to be kept between the parties that matter.

Authenticity isn’t about raw, open exposure. In my mind, it’s about presenting the story the way it is. It’s about being clear about goals. It’s about sharing all sides of the equation, and it’s about trying to be consistent.”

I have always been, and will always be clear in what it is I do. I built my business brand around me and my passion of music. Kyle Lacy and his company, Brandswag, helped me with branding and web design. When I came into corporate Indianapolis over two years ago, I was completely freaked out on whether or not folks would accept me because of my nearly full sleeves. Here I am, this tattooed girl, who plays in a rock band, and has this grand idea to incorporate rock n’ roll into business. Hence, social media rock star.  Indianapolis…the people and the businesses here have been amazing, accepting, and so gracious. I love this city.

At the end of the day, I have a beautiful, 5-year-old daughter to support, a community to lift up, a business to run, and music to create. I will not stop doing what I do because I am extremely passionate about it. After all, “all we have are our love and our guts, baby.”

Opening title credited to “Traffic,” by the band Bitch and Animal

There has been so much “controversy” and discussion over this whole idea of “GHOST BLOGGING.” In my opinion, it’s quite ridiculous. The things us “ghost bloggers” hear from social media purist?

• It’s not being truly authentic
• It’s not ethical
• It’s not real if it’s not from the actual person

Well,  just for the record, does it really matter? I kind of think the above ideas are BS. Here’s why:  What I offer is a service to those who understand the value of good content (message) to create relationships and brand value via the web. I also understand the value of a good social media strategy to get that message out. It’s not being inauthentic at all. It’s being an online marketer in many ways. I help companies piece together what they have to say. It’s not always right the first time. They approve it or I make changes to make the message clearer. It’s not rocket science, it’s a SERVICE. I just happen to love writing. I also happen to love seeing others succeed and grow by a process I’m part of. I mean, how awesome is it that I get to do something I love to do? And make money at it?

Let’s put some things into perspective. Who do you think writes Obama’s speeches? NOT HIM! Tell me, does that fact make the message any less real? Is Obama “inauthentic” because he has bigger things to do (like run a country), rather, he doesn’t have time to just sit around and write great speeches?  My buddy, Erik Deckers, also a ghostblogger, made mention that “No one complains that Ford doesn’t make their own car commercials.”

I brought up Erik because I was just interviewed on Friday by a writer from Entrepreneur Magazine and he was also. The writer is doing a piece that will be out in February about the rise and hype behind ghostwriting/ghostblogging….why folks hire them, what’s in it for them, whether or not it’s ethical, how I carry out the  process personally….those kinds of things.  My answers to him?

• Folks hire ghostwriters because they are shifting their ideals. With the rise of popularity with social media platforms and building business based on relationships and trust, they understand the need to give their customers helpful and useful content. However, the issue many folks are running across is that it’s time consuming.  That being said, just for the record, my clients create the ideas, I create the content around those ideas to help tell their story.
• Another reason I may be hired? The person who hired me doesn’t have a strong writing style. In other words, they suck at writing and will be the first to admit it. Or some are actually GOOD writers, they just don’t have the discipline to do it on the regular basis they would like to. I am hired to keep them accountable as well as make sure their blog awesome. (Because I like to make things awesome.)
• Another reason…they don’t have time to fully understand “all this social media stuff” (I’ve heard it, and it’s OKAY!) That’s why they hire people like me! Social media is the space I play in, I love it, and I am more than happy to assist companies with their strategy. Some have me carry the strategy out, for others, I teach and they have someone in-house carry it out.  Either way, I do my best to help strategize and educate.

I don’t just write ghost-write blogs either. I have assisted on an e-book, and I am currently assisting on another book project.  There are some companies that have me blog on their behalf. If you’ve not checked out McGruff Safeguard, that is a blog I write for focusing on keeping children and teens safe online.

Bottom line, I don’t find ghostwriting unethical or inauthentic. I find it helpful and useful…which are the exact goals the companies who hire me intend to be with their clients and customers.  In my next post, I’m going to piece a bit together on the process of understanding the folks I work for.  In the meantime, I would be totally open to a healthy conversation on your views and thoughts on ghost blogging.

  This is my friend, Clint. Clint is a superstar in my book.

I’ve known Clint since I was a teenager. We grew up in the same town. We never really hung out intensively, but I always knew he was a cool guy. Clint is super artistic and is currently a tattoo apprentice, plus kind of looking for something to do while he perfects his craft. His life revolves around finding deeper meaning to art and life. He is a huge supporter of his friends (I know this because he has always been to my shows, and supports other local musicians.) He doesn’t just talk about doing things. He does them.

The other day, we were having lunch at Yats in Broadripple to catch up on life. Clint was telling me about this homeless guy here in Indianapolis. Clint has struck up a relationship with this guy. He told me he felt like he needed to “sponsor” this man. All I could do was smile. Clint has given him some money, has sought him out to give him things he needs such as long underwear, and is just making an effort. He knows a bit about what this man is into, and has taken TIME to do this. In turn, this homeless man knows that someone out there is thinking about him and cares about his well-being. Now, THAT is contribution.

I know that I can get so caught up in my life and daily drama…and I have lots of it right now. And Clint, he has his own issues too. But at the end of the day, he knows there’s a bigger picture.

Are you counting your blessings? Are you giving back? Are you lifting others up…strangers even? I feel we have not only a responsibility to ourselves and our families. We have a responsibility to our community. I know often blog about supporting our artists, businesses, musicians, and not-for-profits. I never thought about just seeing someone who needs help, and making sure on a continual basis, that they’re okay.  It really made me think.

So, anyway…thanks Clint for caring for this guy who needs love. After all, we all need love. Give a little today. That is how you can make this world better.

A few months back my friend, Annie Sever-Dimitri, sent me a great card. On the front was a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt which said, “Do something every day that scares you.” Months later, I am amazed at how her kind gesture and perfect card choice continue to speak to me. So, here’s my story…

I just moved to Indianapolis about five weeks ago. I know a lot of people here and have worked in the Indy area for nearly two years. Nevertheless, it has still been scary. My personal life has been out of sorts and my ways of seeing things have changed quite a bit over the past few months.  Life and growth have a way of doing that to you, right? Do you get that sometimes?

Well, I’m a workout junkie. I love to go to the gym. I’ve been a member at the SAME gym in my fairly small town for nearly seven years. I knew everyone there.  I went to the same classes, always saw familiar faces, and felt very comfortable.  Because of the move, I’ve joined the lovely LA Fitness…new classes, new faces, semi-intimidating…to me. (Thankfully, my great friend and short-term roomie joined with me.)

This past Saturday morning, I wanted to go to spin class. This was never offered at my previous gym, so therefore, I’d never done it before.  I’m begging my friend to come with me. My excuses for why she MUST come: I don’t want to go in there all by myself, I’m not going to know anyone, I’ve never done this before, what if I totally suck, and I think I may have even said she had to come because she was my friend. 

She didn’t come. She made me go it alone. What I learned: First and foremost, I FREAKING LOVE SPIN CLASS! I made a NEW friend since I was all by myself, and I gained just a wee bit more confidence in who I am as a woman (awesome). But most importantly, I did something that scared me, and I was able to overcome that lame obsession. (And pick up a new spinning one while I was at it.)

Life can be scary, whether you’re transitioning into a new phase, a new town, or a new gym.  I encourage you to do what Eleanor Roosevelt said and jump into those things that scare you every day. Self esteem and growth are two beautiful things.

cheers.