Posted by Elena del Valle on November 14, 2016
Kevin Spelman, Ph.D., EVP, Usana Health Sciences
Photo: Usana Health Sciences
A podcast interview with Kevin Spelman, Ph.D., executive vice president, Research and Development division at Usana Health Sciences, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses the science of cellular communication with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Kevin is a 29-year veteran of the natural products industry. Prior to that, he directed quality control and research and development for the largest manufacturer of liquid extracts in the United States. He is a past National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow and Marie Curie research fellow in the European Union, and has published 27 scientific papers. He also advised the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and provided expert testimony to the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate.
His past research includes molecular biology of the brain and ovarian cancer, as well as clinical investigations, immunological studies, and chemical analysis on multiple natural products. International research includes the analysis of nutrient levels in teenage girls in West Africa, working with children with neurological disorders in Central America, and researching phytochemicals to treat malaria in Paris. Kevin is also an adjunct assistant professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, an adjunct professor of botanical medicine at National College of Natural Medicine, and a lecturer at the Maryland University of Integrative Health.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Kevin Spelman, 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 November 2016 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 9, 2016
By Jay Gronlund,
President, The Pathfinder Group
Jay Gronlund, president, The Pathfinder Group
Inequality of pay in business has become a crisis, fueled mainly by the excessive compensation of CEOs, according to a Hudson Institute article by Irwin Stelzer published July 30,2016. In 1965, the average ratio comparing CEO pay to the median worker’s was 20:1. Today CEOs earn more than 300 times, or 300:1. This alarming disparity has stimulated a widespread negative reaction, as the passionate response by Millennials for Bernie Sanders has demonstrated, and is even becoming a clear source of frustration for Hispanics who aspire to get ahead in the U.S. Even more disconcerting is evidence from studies showing that the highest-paid CEOs are often the worst performers. In short, the growing problem of inequality and extreme pay checks for CEOs has undermined the brand trust of many corporations.
Click to read the entire Pay Inequality Jeopardizing Trust In CEOs and Corporate Brands
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 2, 2016
By Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi*
President, respectabilityusa.org
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president, respectabilityusa.org
For the first time in history, a TV show staring people with disabilities has been nominated for an Emmy Award– and one of the stars, Cristina, is Hispanic! The glass ceiling-breaking show is Born This Way, A&E Network’s critically acclaimed and award-winning original docuseries which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST. Born This Way was nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. In addition, two episodes were nominated for Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program.
The show documents real life as Cristina and her fiancée Angel continue to look forward to their wedding, but have a lot of life skills to master before they are ready to live on their own. Produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, the series follows a group of seven young adults with Down syndrome along with their family and friends in Southern California. Recently, the series was chosen as one of six honorees for the 2016 Television Academy Honors, an award that recognizes television programming that inspires, informs and motivates. That was a wonderful award. However, the Emmys also really matter. Until now, no series starring people with disabilities of any background has ever been nominated for an Emmy Award — and Born This Way includes positive images of Hispanic Americans. We know that actress Michelle Rodriguez has ADD (attention deficit disorder) and superstar Selma Hayek has dyslexia. It is really important when people with disabilities can be seen by the abilities they have.
Click to read the entire article The Emmys: Seeing Hispanics in Hollywood
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 28, 2016
Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores de Cuba
Photos: American Diabetes Association
Are you looking to celebrate the holidays with traditional dishes that are healthy for your family? Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores de Cuba Diabetes Friendly Traditional and Nuevo Cubano Cuisine (American Diabetes Association, $18.95), a bilingual recipe book published this year in Canada, might interest you. Cuban-Colombian Chef Ronaldo Linares spent one year developing recipes and writing his first cookbook for “people who want to get back in the kitchen and discover cooking again, mothers looking to feed their family amazing, healthy, Latino-Cubano food, and the diabetic community that want to change their palate.”
The recipes in the 260-page softcover book are all original and include his takes on oldies from the Cuban people, experiences, and memories of food, the chef explained. Written in English and Spanish the book features 100 recipes as well as information on the importance of farmers markets, kitchen tips from the chef, gluten free flour substitutes, Cuban classics, stews, side dishes and condiments, smoothies, breakfast, salads and surf and turf.
When asked in what significant way his book is different from the many cookbooks published already Linares said by email via a public relations representative, “The book is extremely personal. The stories, recipes, and moments are all real. The book is for the amateur cook at home and also the experienced cook who wants to add more to the arsenal, but overall, the book will make you dance and teach you some Spanish, being that it is bilingual.”
“Life Mostly!” the lively chef said when asked why he wrote it. “It’s what drove me to write them, my legacy, my drive, and I want people to eat my amazing food.”
The biggest challenge of the book project, he said was the time frame he had to complete the work. He had to squeeze time from balancing the restaurant, being a parent, and being a husband.
Linares, a former United States Marine, is a classically trained chef. When not in the kitchen, he is active in his community speaking to schools and youth groups. He was honored by the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey as Outstanding Culinary Person of the Year.
Click to buy Chef Ronaldo’s Sabores de Cuba
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 17, 2016
Shirley A. Aaron, author, Troubling the Ashes
Photo: Shirley A. Aaron
A podcast interview with Shirley A. Aaron, author, Troubling the Ashes, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses racism and her book with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Shirley is a retired Alabama teacher and Georgia media specialist, with 42 years of experience in education. She attended college after her son and daughter were born, achieving a degree in education in order to teach important values through literature. In 2007, she was widowed when her husband Charles O. Aaron passed away from cancer. She is also the author of <em>Drops of Light</em>, a book of poetry, and <i>Sweet Tea with Lemon</i>, due to be published in 2017.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Shirley Aaron” 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 October 2016 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 14, 2016
Broadcasting Happiness
Photos: BenBella Books
Can adopting a glass is half full instead of a glass is half empty outlook on life improve your performance at work? Can a two-minute habit transform a pessimist into an optimist? There are those who are convinced it is possible. Former journalist turned researcher and small business owner Michelle Gielan believes so much in the power of positive thinking she has made it her business. In Broadcasting Happiness The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change (BenBella Books, $25.95) Gielan discusses her affirming approach to business and journalism.
In her book, she cites corporate, academic and journalistic examples of the impact a happy attitude can have on results and in some cases profit. In one school district, she says, graduation rates rose from 44 percent to 89 percent over several years as a result of positive attitudes and related practices. A news series focused on happiness that aired during the recession garnered the highest viewer response that year, she explains. She declined to answer questions submitted by email via her publisher for this article.
Michelle Gielan, author, Broadcasting Happiness
One technique that can influence results is how we begin a conversation; by priming the brain with the tone we seek from the beginning we improve the likelihood of accomplishing our goal, the author says in the second chapter. Because we receive an overwhelming amount of input every second our brains struggle to pay attention to it all so turning people’s attention to the positive might allow them to avoid the paralyzing effects of the negative, she says.
It isn’t enough for an individual to maintain a positive attitude by her or himself, Gielan says. By prompting others to share your upbeat message you can multiply its effect exponentially. She believes it is possible to create contagious optimism which can shift a work or home culture from negative or neutral to positive. She suggests six elements are necessary for others to broadcast a message: motivating hidden broadcasters to share your message; raising the status of the broadcaster; emphasizing high emotions; making it easy and practical for people to share your message; including action steps.
The 275-page hardcover book published in 2015 cites sources in endnotes. It is divided into eight chapters and three main sections: Capitalize on Positivity, Overcome Stress and Negativity, and Create a Positive Ripple Effect as well as a Journalist Manifesto at the end.
Gielan is computer engineer specializing in electrical engineering and systems architecture by training. According to her biography, she is founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and managing partner at GoodThink. Prior to that she was anchor of two national newscasts at CBS News and correspondent for The Early Show.
Click to buy Broadcasting Happiness
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on October 5, 2016
By Ismael El-Qudsi
CEO, SocialPubli.com
Ismael Elqudsi, CEO, SocialPubli.com
Photo: SocialPubli.com
Word of mouth has always been the best way to communicate a message and in the digital world in which we live, social networks provide a vast arena for communication, collaboration and interaction.
In this busy, crowded social media space, think of influencers as mini megaphones that help to amplify your brand’s key messages and online presence. Their endorsements connect your brand to your target market, delivering powerful results at scale.
A recent study (adweek.com/prnewser/study-influencer-marketing-pays-6-50-for-every-dollar-spent/111584 ) revealed that influencer marketing pays $6.50 for every dollar spent. Marketers have taken notice and according to this infographic (theshelf.com/the-blog/2015/3/17/influencer-marketing-is-the-new-king-of-content) by The Shelf, 65 percent of brands now run influencer campaigns.
The influencer marketing space will continue to grow and evolve as marketers perfect their skills and decipher the best practices for campaigns.
Here are five key ingredients to keep in mind for your next influencer marketing campaign.
Click to read the entire article Five key elements for a successful influencer marketing campaign
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 28, 2016
Touching the Light (Tocando La Luz)
Photo, videos: Doc World, World Channel
Hoping to reach a diverse, young audience under 40, on September 18, 2016 Doc World, a new showcase of non-fiction storytelling from around the globe, launched a selection of 11 international documentaries. The series kicked off with the world premier of The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor. The staff at Doc World selected each film to serve as “a vignette of personal stories and the struggles of different cultures and societies.” Doc World is brought to viewers by World Channel, public television’s nonfiction, news and documentary programming. Scroll down to watch two video clips about the series.
Produced by award-winning filmmaker Arthur S. Dong, the The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor tells the story of Haing Ngor, one of the most recognized survivors of the Cambodian genocide and a man who became a worldwide ambassador for justice in his homeland, only to be murdered in a Los Angeles Chinatown alley. The film was based on Ngor’s autobiography and produced in a mix of animation and live action. All the films in the program will also stream at a later date, and another 10 films are scheduled to become available online later this year. Additional information on the Doc World series may be found at http://worldchannel.org/programs/doc-world/
Chris Hastings, executive producer, World Channel
“The stories we choose are focused primarily outside the United States,” said Chris Hastings, executive producer and creative director, World Channel when asked how the films were selected for inclusion. “That’s the main criteria for Doc World: the films take place outside the U.S. and tell a unique story about person, place, history or event that highlight communities Americans would not normally see. To be selected, the films first have to be great stories that are told in creative way and deal with an array of compelling themes (history, social issues, environment). We find the films for Doc World in few ways, starting with our partners in the U.S. that include ITVS, Center for Asian American Media, National Black Programming Consortia, and others who are actively funding and looking for films.”
Other documentaries in the series include: Tocando La Luz, World Premiere September 25; Five Days to Dance, October 2; Kismet, October 9; Among the Believers, October 16; Waiting for August, October 23; My Atomic Aunt, October 30; A Goat for a Vote, November 6; Tashi’s Turbine,November 13; Prize of the Pole, November 20; and Walking Under Water, November 27. All, except Among the Believers and the first two films, will be airing in the U.S. for the first time.
Hasting’s team attend international festivals like HotDocs in Canada and Sheffield Doc Festival in England to screen and meet with filmmakers to solicit submissions; are in contact with distributors like First Hand Films in Switzerland and Rise and Shine Media in Germany; and receive suggestions from public television channels, like the BBC and The Why Foundation in Denmark.
“It’s been amazing to see how many films that are out all over the world—and are great stories—which have not broadcast in the United States,” Hastings said by email via a publicist. “We are so grateful for what we found thus far. Our team at World is small but very diverse and with our partners we select the films for Doc World together.” When asked what the Doc World budget is he said, “Both Doc World and World Channel are funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”
About Doc World
About Tocando La Luz
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 23, 2016
Invisible Influence
Photos: Simon & Schuster, Deborah Feingold
The behavior of others around us affects our own, whether we realize it or not. So believe some researchers, including Jonah Berger, marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He points out that while firstborn children often perform well academically, have high grade point averages, and score high on exams, their younger siblings tend to pick a non academic path in an effort to stand out. As a result there are few firstborn elite athletes, but laterborn children are over represented in athletics.
In his book Invisible Influence The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior (Simon & Schuster, $26.99), a hardcover book published this year, he expands on the idea. He wrote the book for anyone trying to influence others or interested in what drives human behavior, the author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On (see Marketing professor explores popularity of things) explained by email when asked about the target audience for his second book.
Jonah Berger, author, Invisible Influence
“Contagious is about why products, ideas, and behaviors catch on, and the important role that word of mouth plays in this process,” he said when asked about the difference between the two titles. “Invisible Influence is also about social influence, but more about how it shapes behavior without people realizing it, and how people can apply those insights, both at home and at work. We think we make our own choices, but we’re actually wrong. Other people often make our choices for us.”
The cover was designed to illustrate the main idea of the book: that influence is often invisible. Look at it from one angle and you see the title, subtitle, author name and a reference to his previous book in black and white. Look at it from a slightly different angle and you see the words “everyone’s reading it” within a yellow starburst.
When asked to define invisible influence, Berger said, “Any situation where one person’s behavior or choices influences another’s.” In response to how being extroverted or introverted might play a role in being susceptible to influence he said, “A little, but both introverts and extraverts (extroverts) are shaped by social influence.”
The 264-page book is divided into five chapters: Monkey See, Monkey Do; A Horse of a Different Color; Not If They’re Doing It; Similar But Different; and Come On Baby Light My Fire. Contagious was a New York Times bestseller title in 2013 and named Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing Association.
Click to buy Invisible Influence
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 14, 2016
Third Horizon Film Festival
Image: Third Horizon Film Festival
This fall Miami, Florida movie lovers will have Caribbean themed film options during the first Third Horizon Film Festival. Thanks to funding from The Miami Foundation and the Knight Foundation (the festival was winner of the 2014 Knight Arts Challenge) between September 29 and October 2, 2016 the festival will showcase the work of Caribbean filmmakers at O Cinema, Wynwood, 90 NW 29 street, Miami, Florida 33127. Plans are in place to highlight eight full length features and a few short films.
“The Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival aims to celebrate and empower filmmakers from the Caribbean and its diaspora,” said Donnamarie Baptiste, a consultant to the festival, by email. “With the democratization of filmmaking, the barriers to making a film have become less prohibitive. The festival aims to seize this moment to connect promising Caribbean filmmakers with the resources and opportunities they need to take their films to the world.”
When asked about the selection of films Baptiste said, “First and foremost, we’re looking for films that have relevance to the people of the Caribbean. To that end, we’re focused primarily on filmmakers from the Caribbean or of Caribbean parentage who live outside of the region. That said, in an effort to encourage filmmakers outside of the region to set their films in the Caribbean, we do consider films by non-Caribbean filmmakers based on their relevance to the region.”
The festival’s line-up of movies is selected by a committee appointed by the festival, comprised of Jonathan Ali, Romola Lucas, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers, Keisha Rae Witherspoon and Robert Sawyer. Jason Fitzroy Jeffers, Keisha Rae Witherspoon and Robert Sawyer are co-founders of the festival. A spokesperson declined to identify a budget or staff numbers.
“The name Third Horizon comes from a feeling that popular entertainment is not diverse enough, and that every child should see themselves reflected in what is considered global entertainment,” said Fitzroy Jeffers, who is also executive director, from Barbados via a spokesperson, when asked about the meaning of the festival name. “Growing up I felt I was less than because of the color of my skin, and believed I was from the ‘Third World’-although we know that the ‘first world’ is powered by the blood, sweat and tears from the ‘third world.’ So Third Horizon is that moment and space where the stories, sounds and visions of the so called ‘third world’ find the support, audience, funding and distribution needed to give us equity.”
Full length films scheduled include: Ayiti Mon Amour, Memories of a Penitent Heart, Generation Revolution, The House on Coco Road, God Loves the Fighter, The Stuart Hall Project, Pressure and Crumbs; and shorts include: ABCs, Alto Vista, Antiman, Auntie, Doubles with Slight Pepper, Field Notes: An Unexpected Journey, Mommy Water, Parish Bull, and Short Drop.
