Posted by Elena del Valle on February 8, 2017
By Jay Gronlund,
President, The Pathfinder Group
Jay Gronlund, president, The Pathfinder Group
Photo: The Pathfinder Group
Technology has transformed our world into a data obsessive circus where information is unbelievably accessible, connectivity is constant, and unpredictable events always surprise and engulf us. Call this extreme clutter and volatility. With so much information and multi-tasking surrounding us, it has become a challenge to restore simplicity, clarity and focus in our communications. These excessive conditions provide the main impetus for the re-emergence of storytelling for inspiring, engaging and connecting to others.
Read the entire The Power of Storytelling for Brand Marketing and Communications
Posted by Elena del Valle on February 6, 2017
Michael Welp, Ph.D., co-founder, White Men As Full Diversity Partners
Photo: White Men As Full Diversity Partners
A podcast interview with Michael Welp, Ph.D., co-founder, White Men As Full Diversity Partners, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses how workplace discrimination equals a $64 billion loss with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Michael is the author of Four Days to Change. In 1990, he journeyed to post-Apartheid South Africa, where he took a proactive role with non-profit Outward Bound while leading team-building projects within a dozen South African corporations. For over two decades, Michael has worked extensively with Fortune 500 company leadership to build a culture where diversity flourishes and inclusion is the order of the day.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Michael Welp, PhD” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the February 2017 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on February 2, 2017
I Am Not a Number
Photos: Second Story Press
Jenny Kay Dupuis, Ed.D.’s interest in her family’s past and her commitment to teaching about Indigenous issues through literature drew her to co-write her first children’s book. It took her and Kathy Kacer three years to write I Am Not a Number (Second Story Press, $18.95), the true and personal story of Irene Couchie Dupuis, her grandmother, who was taken from her Nipissing First Nation’s family and community at a young age to live in a residential school in the late 1920s in Canada. They wrote the easy to read lovingly illustrated book for school-age children (ages seven and up) to learn about the legacy of the Indian Residential School System (known as boarding schools in the United States). According to the author, it has also appealed to “educators (Grades 2-12), librarians, families, and community organizations interested in reading stories about true history, and supporting children and youth to develop critical literacy skills to engage in important, meaningful discussions about the injustices that have and are currently occurring to Indigenous peoples.” In it, they share her grandmother’s story, including the hardships and verbal and corporal punishment she and other children endured at the hands of the nuns and within the system.
“When I was growing up, we didn’t talk much about the history and injustices in school programming,” Dupuis said by email when asked about the Nipissing First Nation. “I learned about my culture and community values, like having respect for myself and others, while working a part-time job (as a youth) at a local restaurant called the Teepee Café owned by Dot Beaucage-Kennedy. It was a place where everyone gathered, including storytellers, Elders/knowledge keepers, grandmothers/grandfathers, artists (traditional/contemporary), language speakers, and families. Times have changed. We are now seeing these opportunities expand into the school systems. I’m really proud of the opportunities that are emerging, especially for children and youth, that place an emphasis on historical/contemporary realities, culture, traditions, and values, including efforts to revitalize the Ojibwe language and culture.”
The 32-page hardcover book was published in 2016. Color illustrated by Gillian Newland the book also includes several black and white family photos. The people who were involved in the abuse were never punished, nor did they apologize for the wrongdoings in her granny’s case, Dupuis explained.
Jenny Kay Dupuis, Ed.D., co-author, I Am Not a Number
When asked why she wrote the book Dupuis replied, “Listening to the stories of my family and community history led me to write I Am Not a Number. My granny shared with me her story at a time when I felt that she wanted to share her truth. I held onto her story for years, waiting for the right time to share it. While I was working in the field of Indigenous education, I found there weren’t any children’s picture books that focused on the Residential School System through the lens of an Indigenous family. So I wanted to reach out to young people through storytelling and literature to ensure they hear true stories about the legacy of forced assimilation; where Indigenous children were taken from their families/home communities and sent to residential schools.
In addition, I also wanted to use literature as a means to encourage educators, families, and community groups to begin to facilitate deep conversations, with young people and each other, about the legislation and policies that have impacted (and still impact) Indigenous peoples. I’m really pleased at the response. So far, educators, community groups, and families have been in contact via social media sharing how they have used the book since its release. For instance, Luke Bramer, a performing arts teacher used the book to inspire his junior level/ freshman high school students to learn about the residential school system and create a puppet theatre performance, using breathing puppets to retell my granny’s story. Other teachers have been using activities like ‘role on the wall’ to introduce the topic of residential schools and begin to discuss topics like genocide, the impacts of colonialism, oppression, assimilation, etc. Families have read the book with their young children, going through a ‘picture walk’ to stimulate interest. Additionally, community organizations, like in Hamilton ON (Canada), are in the midst of hosting (grassroots-led) book launches and readings that also feature youth artwork and other learning inspired by the book I Am Not a Number.”
Kathy Kacer, co-author, I Am Not a Number
The Nipissing First Nation lives on the shores of Lake Nipissing in Northern Ontario, Canada. There is a registered band membership of approximately 2,500 persons with about 1,000 residing on reserve. Dupuis is of Anishinaabe and Ojibway ancestry and a member of Nipissing First Nation. The Toronto resident is an educator, researcher, artist, and speaker who works full-time supporting the advancement of Indigenous education.
Kacer is known for her children’s books about the Holocaust, including The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser and The Magician of Auschwitz. A former psychologist, she now travels the globe speaking to children and adults about her books. Newland works in watercolor, ink, and pencils. She finds most of her inspiration to draw outside of her studio, and can sometimes be found sketching fellow customers at a coffee shop. She is the illustrator of The Magician of Auschwitz among other books. All three women live in Toronto.
Click to buy I Am Not a Number
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 23, 2017
Adrian LaTrace, CEO, Boyd Industries
Photo: Boyd Industries
A podcast interview with Adrian LaTrace, CEO, Boyd Industries, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses transforming a small business to meet evolving market demands with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Adrian arrived at Boyd Industries with more than 25 years of leadership in companies ranging from start-ups to large public corporations in the healthcare, renewable energy, and aerospace industries. He relies on his experience in developing high-performance organizations to support Boyd’s goals and provide leadership for the dental equipment needs of the future.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Adrian LaTrace” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the January 2017 section of the podcast archive.
Audio
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 19, 2017
The Performance Principle
Photos: MNP
After Making It Happen, his first non fiction title, was published, Mackenzie Kyle, managing partner for Advisory Services in British Columbia, Canada for MNP, a consulting and accounting firm, he discovered he liked to write and wanted to work on another one. As a result The Performance Principle A Practical Guide to Understanding Motivation in the Modern Workplace (Figure 1 Publishing, $21), was published in 2016. It took four years from his first typed page until it appeared in print.
Written in the form of a novel The Performance Principle features the story of Will Campbell, a newly promoted executive of a firm which has fallen on hard times. Over the course of several tumultuous months, Campbell and his team learn the principles of performance management and the powerful results it can deliver. Kyle’s target audience? Anyone tasked with managing people, from people supervising one other person, to senior managers responsible for large teams. He believes that the ideas in the book are helpful for individuals interested in working more effectively as part of a team; that it can help them to better understand their own motivations, and work more effectively with other teams members.
“My motivation was really two-fold,” Kyle said by email when asked what prompted him to write the second title. “I was looking for an alternative way to communicate a number of ideas around performance management, and I’d had good success with this approach with my previous book (which dealt with project management.). The second reason was fairly personal – I like the writing process, and tackling The Performance Principle was an excuse to do something work-related, that also allowed me to do some creative writing.”
The new book is a sequel to the first book, sharing most of the same characters, who a number of years later are facing some new challenges. The author explained that there is sufficient information about the back story in the new book so it is not necessary to read the first book. At the same time, his approach was similar in both books. The protagonist (Campbell) is the focal point for uncovering the underlying issues, and his sage (his mother-in-law) is the character that brings the ideas about performance management to the team. Kyle wrote the story to help the reader walk through the implementation of the ideas in a (relatively) realistic situation.
When asked why he wrote it in the form of a novel he replied, “I’ve found that wrapping a story around a set of ideas can be a more interesting (some would only go as far as ‘less painful’) way of getting those ideas across. It also provides some context in which people can ‘see’ the ideas in action. I really enjoy the creative writing process, and the challenge of putting the ideas into a story or case study was something I found to be personally interesting (and enjoyable). I keep looking for that job ad for a ‘full time novelist’ but so far haven’t seen it.”
Mackenzie Kyle, author, The Performance Principle
“While I don’t address introverts and extroverts specifically as personality types in the book, I do talk about the reality that different people find different things motivating (or punishing), and how work with that,” the author said when in response to a question about the relevance introvert and extrovert personalities have on the topic. “Recognizing these differences is key to working effectively with a team, and essential for a manager. For example, someone we characterize as an extrovert might find public recognition very rewarding for doing a good job on a particular task; someone we might call an introvert would actually find being singled out in front of the group to be punishing. As a result, they might avoid doing whatever it is that gets them that recognition, even if it’s not the performance we’re looking for.
One caveat though, and that is to avoid pigeonholing people into one category or another. For example, very few are pure extroverts or pure introverts. Instead, they will usually lean toward one side, but have characteristics of the other. This means everyone needs to be treated as an individual when determining what he or she find motivating. Broad generalizations can result in missing the mark, and ultimately less effective performance.”
Kyle has more than 25 years of experience in operations improvement and restructuring, and has provided specific assistance in everything from strategic planning to performance management to managing projects. He has worked in manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, and the public sector, and internationally in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Click to buy The Performance Principle
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 9, 2017
Eliza Kubarska, filmmaker, Walking Under Water
Photo: David Kaszlikowski/Vertical Vision Film Studio
A podcast interview with filmmaker Eliza Kubarska is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses her film Walking on Water about the Badjao people in Borneo (available on the World Channel website:http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/dw-s1-111-walking-under-water/) with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Eliza, a Polish alpinist and traveler, specializes in adventure film making and extreme location work. In 2007, she set up her own film company Vertical Vision Film Studio, where she produced her first multi-awarded feature documentary, What Happened on Pam Island, also known as Mountain Love Story. In 2014, Walking Under Water, her next documentary was awarded Hot Docs Jury Prize and John Schlesinger Award at Palm Springs Film Festival.
In her newest film K2 – Touching the Sky, Eliza, together with an international group of grown-up children of acclaimed mountain climbers, sets out on an expedition to reach K2 base camp, the burial place for those who lost their lives on K2 in the summer of 1986.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Eliza Kubarska” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the January 2017 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 3, 2017
What We Can Learn
By Jay Gronlund,
President, The Pathfinder Group
Jay Gronlund, president, The Pathfinder Group
Photo: The Pathfinder Group
Without doubt, Donald Trump’s election victory was a shock to most people, especially pollsters, the news media and those living in urban centers across the country. In some ways, it was a contest of character between the two most unfavorably perceived presidential candidates in history. However, from a branding perspective, the compelling reasons behind each vote was more about what each candidate stood for. And this is what branding is all about – making promises that resonate with people’s intense emotional desires, to connect with them.
Click to read the entire article Positioning the Trump Brand for Victory – What We Can Learn
Posted by Elena del Valle on December 16, 2016
Inkspirations for Christmas Joy
Photos: Health Communications, Inc.
Coloring for adults seem to be sweeping the nation and beyond. If the coloring bug bit you and your are looking for new themes the new additions from Health Communications, Inc. in Deerfield, Florida, all 72 pages, 8.5 inches by 11 inches in size, may interest you. Like Christmas? Inkspirations for Christmas Joy Festive Coloring Designs with DIY Gift Tags, Postcards, Wine Tags and More with original art by Kristin van Lieshout, an artist from Lynchburg, Virginia could be worth a look.
Kristin van Lieshout
Inkspirations for women
Inkspirations for a happy heart
Inkspirations for Women Color Your World Happy 30 Inspiring Designs to Nourish Your Heart and Renew Your Spirit by author Marci Shimoff with original art by Judy Clement Wall (see Author, artist team up on coloring book for women) might be just what you seek for an inspirational and affordable holiday gift. Want to cheer yourself up?
Anna Carey, Beth Logan, and Diane Yi
Inkspirations for a Happy Heart Inspiring Coloring Designs to Lift Your Spirit and Feed Your Soul features original art by Diane Yi, who draws her inspiration from nature, beauty, and the sacredness of the human spirit. According to her biography, her work is in private collections worldwide. She lives near Kansas City with her husband and two dogs.
Inkspirations animal kingdom
Inkspirations in the garden
Inkspirations Animal Kingdom Captivating Coloring Designs Celebrating the Majesty of Animals with original art by Anna N. Carey features 32 original designs. Carey has combined her love of animals and her talent as an artist with her passion as an educator. An elementary art specialist she founded Paisley & Hazel Designs, named in honor of her two canine companions.
Like plants? Inkspirations in the Garden Fabulous Floral Coloring Designs Celebrating Life in Full Bloom with original art by Beth Logan may be for you. It includes wildflowers, rose bushes, cottages and gazebos, and a mix of easy designs along with elaborate pages. According to a company representative, the top selling titles from the series are: Fruit of the Spirit, for Women, Recovery, and Animal Kingdom.
Click to buy
Posted by Elena del Valle on December 7, 2016
According to Mintel, consumers are most likely to be interested in products with vitamin C, fruit based ingredients, oatmeal, and honey.
Photo: HispanicMPR.com
Last year, facial skin care and anti-aging cream sales declined after experiencing steady growth for years in the past, according to research company Mintel. Although anti-aging products remains the largest segment in the category, it suffered a sales decrease of 6.3 percent from 2014 to 2015. Also, 21 percent of consumers who responded to a Mintel survey said they do not use and are not interested in using anti-aging products compared to 18 percent of consumers who use them.
The overall facial skincare and anti-aging market experienced a 1.4 percent decrease in sales in 2015, falling to $6.6 billion, according to Mintel. Baby Boomers, consumers 55 and older, who took the research company’s survey were the least likely to report usage of nearly every facial skincare product they surveyed, with one third (32 percent) not using any of the surveyed products compared to 19 percent overall.
“While the facial skincare category has experienced tepid sales over the years, in 2015 we saw declines for the first time in five years,” said Shannon Romanowski, category manager, Health, Household, Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel, in a press release. “Moving forward, the category’s success will rely on younger consumers and the growing facial cleanser segment, with an emphasis on natural, recognizable ingredients and innovation like ‘waterless cleansing.’ To broaden the appeal of these products, brands should be proactive in addressing concerns surrounding cost and usage instructions.”
According to Gastronomia Global Beauty and Personal Care Trend, a Mintel survey of 1,613 adults who said they use skincare products, consumers are interested in milder, natural formulations that shield against pollution. One in seven (14 percent) of the respondents believe pollution impacts the appearance of their skin.
Survey takers also said they view lifestyle as an important factor in their skin’s appearance. Many said they are convinced hydration (44 percent) and diet (36 percent) impact skin’s appearance more than using skincare products (26 percent). Another 38 percent said they believe stress impacts the appearance of their skin. Among the survey takers 30 percent said they seek anti-aging products making anti-stress claims.
“Consumers are embracing healthy, holistic living, and our research shows that these lifestyle changes are driving the facial skincare and anti-aging market. In such a saturated marketplace, products featuring natural formulations are standing out to consumers who trust identifiable and natural ingredients,” said Romanowski. “The link between diet and skin is evident, and as consumers increasingly associate their lifestyle with their skin’s appearance, product formulations with added food-based ingredients and vitamins stand out among the competition.”
According to the Mintel report, consumers are most likely to be interested in products with vitamin C (85 percent), fruit based ingredients (78 percent), oatmeal (78 percent) and honey (76 percent); and 72 percent of consumers are interested in products featuring probiotics.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 28, 2016
Ronaldo Linares, author, Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores De Cuba
Photo: Dalyn Miller Public Relations
A podcast interview with Ronaldo Linares, author, Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores De Cuba (see American Diabetes Association releases diabetes friendly Cuban recipe book), is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses his cuisine with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Ronaldo is a Cuban, Colombian, American, salsa-dancing, mixed martial arts-fighting, Cross Fit training, former U.S. Marine, classically trained chef and restaurateur living his dream. Born in Colombia during the turbulent Cartel wars of the 1980s, cooking has been the main ingredient in Ronaldo’s journey from young immigrant to rebellious teen to successful chef and media personality.
Ronaldo has showcased his Cuban-inspired, passion-infused culinary style on Food Network’s Chopped, BBC America’s cross-country chef competition Chef Race, and appearances on Better TV, Fox News and Telemundo. When not in the kitchen, Ronaldo is active in the community, speaking to schools, youth groups and corporations about his life’s journey and healthy living.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Ronaldo Linares” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the November 2016 section of the podcast archive.
Click to buy Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores de Cuba
