How To Connect On Social Media (#1 Tip from @RickiLake)

 

Social media has changed the world forever. In just 140 characters or an update to your Facebook status, you have the potential to connect with a complete stranger in the same town or across the globe. In an instant, Friendships are being formed. Business is taking place. People are connecting. And the world will never be the same.

 

But it isn’t that easy…

 

Many people are standing on the sidelines of social media, unsure of how to jump into the conversation and contribute their thoughts. There is uncertainty about how one can form bonds with people they have never met “face to face.”

Are you one of many asking the question, “how?”

That is why we are here and you can know one thing for sure… You are in the right place! We have teamed up with Ricki Lake, one of the most engaged celebrities on social media, to share 5 tips for connecting with people in an instant on social media.

 

Watch this video to hear Ricki Lake’s #1 Tip for Connecting on Social Media

2. Be Respectful.

Leave judgment at the door and respect that other people on social media have beliefs and opinions that are their own. This is what makes them unique! Just as in offline relationships, if you want to make friends, you have to be one first. If you want people to respect you, start by being respectful of them.

3. Be Inspiring.

People like social media for many reasons. Many will share that they feel uplifted and empowered to live their best life by connecting with inspiring and positive people. If you want to make a lot of friends on social media, be inspiring. Be encouraging. Be a friend.

4. Be Generous.

The more you offer to help others in life, the more “likeable” you will be. When on social media you can help others by supporting their work. Take the time to mention people, and give them positive feedback. When you re-tweet or share the content of others they feel good and are more likely to appreciate and connect with you. Remember, "it's not about me, it's about we".

5. Find a Fun Community!

Following a hashtag community on Twitter or joining a group or community on Facebook is a great way to connect with people who are like you and who are usually looking for the same type of connection you are looking for. Twitter and Facebook are the largest gathering of individuals on the planet. Communities are simply small groups within. Think of communities on social media as you would small break-out sessions at a very, very large conference. The name on the door is the community. Pick the door that tells you that you share common interests with those on the other side. Then, open the door, step inside and say hello via a tweet or a post on the Facebook wall. You will be surprised that many are waiting for... you!

 

If you are looking for a community that is based on friendship and connection, please join Ricki Lake and the Friends of Ricki for a very special announcement and a first hand look at social media connection on Ustream at http://ustream.tv/rickilake and using Twitter hashtag #FriendsofRicki at 5pm PST this Wednesday, February 1. We look forward to seeing you and connecting with you there!

 

Do you have any ideas or questions about making connections on social media? Please leave your thoughts in the comments and let's discuss.

Victim

Allowing oneself to slip into a victim mentality is a painful and downward spiral that makes it hard to see things clearly.

The positive is that when one removes oneself from this vicious circle of thought and action, one can - as i said in an earlier post - rise from the ashes a stronger person...

It is all a learning process and viewing the circle as something that cannot be overcome may seem easier than simply accepting the fact that we are choosing to be drawn there out of pain...not anger...

Allowing yourself to grieve is perfectly natural...so take a deep breath...accept yourself and love yourself as you are...give yourself just as much care and compassion as you would give to a friend in their time of need... Sometimes we just need to allow ourselves to take the time to heal...without judgement or derision toward our seeming weakness.

There is a strength that is found in being vulnerable, accepting and kind to oneself...and in this strength and knowledge we find that we can open our hearts to others and show them the understanding and kindess that we have shown ourselves. ~ DCincioni 1-28-12

#HoldThatThought - power

Your thoughts and your words have power...use them wisely. #HoldThatThought ~ dcincioni ©12/08/11

Hold that thought - #Fearless

Step out of your way and you will be removing the one thing that stops you from being successful... #Fearless #HoldThatThought ~dcincioni  ©11/23/11

Hold That Thought...again

We are not all master communicators. How we feel and what we want someone to hear is not always expressed in a cohesive or succinct way… So Please, listen to what someone is saying - focus with your heart. Judgments and Misperceptions block Understanding and can lead to conflicts.

If you dont understand what someone is saying, take the time to reflect back what they are saying, and ask them if "That" is what they meant - this can bring clarity to the conversation...

Realize too that the other person may not be "Hearing" what you are saying. So be patient and don’t close the door to communication...see this as an opportunity to learn a new language, : ) to express yourself in a new way...

Let your thoughts and words reflect positively on Your Soul and let them fall kindly on others. Remember that just because you think that a person is Not fully living what they believe...act gently toward them... No one is perfect... That they have the understanding to express how they should be, and are striving to Be that, is a positive and beautiful thing.

 #HoldThatThought ~dcincioni ©11/6/11

Hold That Thought - Ponderings & Perceptions

These are a collection of Ponderings and Perceptions that will be posted on Twitter and Face Book. I will be adding to them over time and I hope that you enjoy my thoughtfull moments... : )

There are moments in time when you can be sure that all Is as it should Be in your world. #HoldThatThought ~dcincioni ©10/31/11

Dont blame others for your actions. Just own it, learn from it and LET It Go. #HoldThatThought ~dcincioni ©11/1/11

His words

His words/though seemingly kind/ambiguously fluttered ~dcincioni ©  10/20/11

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Debra, @MomsofAmerica and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps. 

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.


p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!
 

Nationwide Tweet-up With Fashion Designer George Zaharoff At Select Nordstrom Stores

                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Giuseppe Longo

Email: FashionClassandJetLag@gmail.com

Luxury Blog Fashion + Class & Jet Lag Collaborates With Fashion Designer George Zaharoff At Select Nordstrom Stores

Luxury blog fashion + class & jet lag is pleased to announce sponsorship of a nationwide tweet-up, collaborating with mens/womenswear designer George Zaharoff which will be held at select Nordstrom locations. Wanting to showcase Zaharoff's Mens Fall/Winter 2011 Collection, Nordstrom will be the location for the first ever in-store tweet-ups in key mainline stores.  Happening on Saturday evenings in select cities during the end of September/beginning of October, the tweet-ups will occur right after Mr. Zaharoff's daytime personal appearances.

The personal appearances will be open to Nordstrom's customers, which then will be immediately followed by the specific social media in-store events, geared heavily toward those who are signed-up with Twitter. The social media part, to take place on the sales floor, will be sponsored by fashion + class & jet lag, hosted personally by Editor and Writer Giuseppe Longo. George Zaharoff will be present for meet-and-greet. Limited gift bags will be handed out.

Taking marketing and social media to the next level, Zaharoff and fashion + class & jet lag are reaching out directly and personally to everyone in the "twittersphere," having been inspired by many months of engagement with members on Twitter. This will be the first time a retailer, fashion brand and luxury blog have combined forces to spotlight a designer's collection within three key markets - Seattle, Chicago, and Washington DC.  George Zaharoff says, "These are going to be very special tweet-ups as well as fun and casual.  Just to be able to introduce myself and the collection to people we chat with on an almost daily basis is awesome."  Giuseppe Longo agrees, "This is the future of marketing - social media. And doing this innovative collaboration with George and Nordstrom is going to be exciting. The best part will be meeting everyone and also tweeting with them."

The dates are as follows at the following Nordstrom stores:

    -Seattle Bellevue Square: September 24

    -Washington, DC Pentagon City: October 1

    -Chicago Michigan Avenue: October 8

The tweet-up events will be from 4 PM until 7 PM, immediately following the Zaharoff's seasonal personal appearances. They are looking forward to having everyone online join the fun. Twitter handles are as follows: fashion + class & jet lag (@FashionClassJet), George Zaharoff (@Zaharoff), Nordstrom (@Nordstrom). Also, the designated hash tag that has been assigned for the tweet-ups: #ZLive

Nordstrom is an American retailer based out of Seattle, Washington which has over 120 doors coast-to-coast. George Zaharoff is a mens and womenswear designer under the "Zaharoff" label selling to select Nordstrom and specialty stores throughout the country. Fashion + class & jet lag (fashionclassandjetlag.com) is a New York City based luxury blog that covers exclusivity and elegance within fashion, culture, and travel.

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If you'd like more information about these events please contact Giuseppe Longo at FashionClassandJetLag@gmail.com or Letitia Watson of Zaharoff at 312.624.9633

Foundation Announces Changes to Dedication Day Plans #MLK

Washington (August 25, 2011) – This evening Harry E. Johnson, Sr. president and CEO of the Washington DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. released the following statement about Dedication Day.

Thank you for coming back this evening for a further update on our Dedication plans. In consultation with the National Park Service, the Mayor’s office and FEMA, it is with a heavy heart and enormous disappointment that we announce that, in the interest of public safety, we are forced to change our plans.

Here is the new schedule. First, the Friday schedule will continue as planned. Second, on Saturday we will hold the National Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This will be the final official event of the Dedication week.

We have worked with the Park Service to ensure that the Memorial will be open to the public, weather permitting, on Saturday. The Memorial will be open Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

Finally, the official Dedication ceremony will be moved to a date yet determined in September or October. We will announce those details when we have them. For now, we wanted to make sure you had this information as soon as possible.

So many worked tirelessly to dedicate the dream and make this Memorial a reality. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the Foundation staff, our generous sponsors, and to you, the public.

In the words of Dr. King, “we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” With that in mind, let’s remember the spirit of the Memorial – justice, democracy, hope and love.

Dedication Event Schedule:

Friday, August 26, 2011

Partners In the Dream (Exhibit Hall) MLK Store

Washington Convention Center

Hall D

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Women Who Dare To Dream Luncheon

Washington Convention Center

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

National Prayer Service

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will be open to the public on the Friday, August 25 from noon until 10 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 from 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, please visit www.dedicatethedream.org.

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