September 21, 2012 – 10:28 am
On Sunday, I came out to see Steve run his first 10K. He decided to do the Louisa May Alcott race, since it was right where we live: Concord, MA. It was a beautiful day for a run and I was really excited for him. Here is his account of the race: They say we are always stronger when we have someone to stand by us or have our back. Great partnerships, whether it be in business or in life can transform and redefine us in ways we never thought possible. In some cases, great partnerships have transformed the world and changed the course of history. Whether it is in business, sports, government or the arts, the power of a great partnership usually has an exponentially better outcome. So what makes a great partner? A great partnership is when… • Two people balance each other, when they constantly remind each other of the need to keep the conscious and unconscious in harmony. The result is that it makes each other smarter, better. • They support us and have complete trust, complete faith, and complete belief in one another. • They understand that if you want to have a good partner, [...]
August 8, 2012 – 10:15 am
I just got back from a fantastic trip to Kauai for my sister’s wedding. I’m never one to take a vacation to a tropical destination, so this was a huge new experience for me. Here are some of the highlights of the trip, including: No worries. We promise that we didn’t cause any trouble with the TSA officials. At least none that we can speak of. A beautiful beach where I learned how to scuba. I wasn’t really keen on my instructor at first. She wanted us to get used to breathing under water through our equipment. Though I could do it for a little bit, it was extremely hard to breathe. I tried it several times before I told her I was having issues. Come to find out, she forgot to turn my tank on. However, everyone was incredibly impressed with my lung capacity. It’s awesome to be an opera singer. These are the Wailua Falls that were featured in the beginning of Fantasy Island. All I had running through my head was, “The plane boss, the plane.” It never got old. Each beach looked like this. This was the beach where we had our surf lesson. Surfing was [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Adventure, Happiness, Travel, Uncategorized
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Also tagged a lesson learned, fantasy island, janae, Kauai, lesson s learned, lessons learn, lessons learned, lessons learned from, lessons learned processed, lessons to be learned, life lessons learned, surf, the surf, wailua
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Having it all? What exactly does that mean? Last week, I read Anne-Marie Slaughter’s post on The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All.” After sharing it out, I found that many people had very strong feelings about this post. Here are some of the comments from friends: “I think that having a job in Washington while your family remains in another city, and you only see them on the weekends, is stressful for most people, so it’s not surprising she wouldn’t want to do it for more than two years. Women and men need a lot of support in the family to handle a job that demands a lot of hours. Someone like Sheryl Sandberg apparently has that.” -Louis Gudema “This is a no brainer for any mother who works outside the home. I am constantly stealing time from work to attend to family and vice versa. Taking care of myself falls last on the list. Read/skimmed this article while also entertaining my daughter and felt guilty for splitting my attention. And there’s also a report I should be drafting. “-Sarah Long Holland “Everyone–man or woman need a wife to make it work! Where to get t those [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Happiness, Uncategorized
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Also tagged ann-marie slaughter, can women have it all, feminism, feminism and, feminism in, feminism is, having all, having it all, ja-nae duane, janae, the atlantic, the career woman, the feminism, what is a feminist, why women still cannot have it all, women who have it all
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Faith. What is it exactly? Where does it come from and why is it so important to so many people? I thought a lot about faith this past weekend as I was putting together my sermon for the First Church of Chestnut Hill. While preparing, I came across this great Patrick Overton poem. He reflects in his poem “Faith”: When you come to the edge of all the light you have And take the first step into the darkness of the unknown, You must believe one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you did not know what the outcome would be or how you were going to get through it? We have all been there. Am I right? Many times in our lives we are faced with the unknown, the uncertainty of a future that we cannot see. But how can we have faith that it will all work out? A lot of people would love to answer your questions for you. However, what they will give you are their answers. “We will tell [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Strategy, Uncategorized
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Also tagged faith, first church of chestnut hill, have faith, how to make a decision, how to make decisions, janae, make decision, make decisions, meaning of faith, no faith, obstacles in life, overcoming obstacles, the faith, what is faith
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Yesterday, I wrote a post on the role that creativity plays within leadership education. On G+, Bill Hipsher asked the following question: I wonder how the chart you shared would look for smaller company CEO’s who don’t have “Global Thinking” as a factor? Could that be replaced by “Local Thinking/Influence/Relationships” for smaller local businesses? Great question, Bill. Here is my response: And just in case you wanted to see my artwork: Related Posts Growing Ideas The Leaders: 3 Lessons from the Girl Scouts How to Recognize Opportunity
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Strategy, Travel, Uncategorized
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Also tagged about leadership, it leadership, janae, leader, leadership education, leadership is, Leadership qualities, the leaders, what is leadership
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I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. -Mohandas Gandhi I finally watched The King’s Speech last night. It is an absolutely fantastic movie about a man who had to overcome a stammer and see himself as the leader he was meant to be. Many of the tactical exercises he used to build himself up were creative exercises many actors use. If you haven’t seen it, then I recommend curling up and renting it. But the movie was really just a part of an on-going question that kept reoccurring throughout this past weekend. After a random two-hour long conversation with a group of elementary school teachers; a run in with an old friend who is an executive director, and dinners with friends over a good glass of wine. The question has consistently shown up is : How do we grow today’s leaders? Based on the eye-opening conversations I have had over this past weekend, here are some suggestions: Creative Time The group of teachers told me how playtime had almost been completely eliminated from the day-to-day routine of their K-5th graders. One teacher stated, “If we cannot use playtime to instill creative [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Also tagged creative, creative leadership, Creativity, ja-nae duane, janae, leader creative, leaders for tomorrow, leaders of tomorrow, leadership education, leadership tips, restoring creativity, the creative leader, what is creativity
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Game Changer, homeless hotspots, caused controversy at SXSW this year. Check out my Pulse Network segment on the topic: Despite what you think about the project, it has opened up the question of, “now what?” Here are 3 projects and next steps to consider: Street Treat: Though overshadowed by the SXSW Homeless Hotspot story, Street Treat is plugging away as an alternative to giving a homeless person the opportunity to make money by selling iced cream. Mark Horvath just wrote a great article on the program. Check it out. Partner for Employment: Many individuals who are homeless want to work. Some have the skills you’re looking for and some may not. Either way, they are just lacking the opportunity. Have your company partner with your local homeless shelter to create that opportunity and a training program. Community Gardens: Community Gardens are a fantastic communal focal point and an effective crime prevention strategy. Why not employee the homeless to help tend the garden and run a farm stand? This is a great way to pay someone, feed them, and make your neighborhood safer. What ways do you think we could employee the homeless? Do you know anyone who is working on something [...]
March 22, 2012 – 10:30 am
The satisfaction one feels after donating to and supporting a cause is inherent. In fact, two recent studies suggest that giving to others makes us happy, even happier than spending on ourselves. It may not be bold to state that giving is a key to happiness. And with today’s technology and rapid social media growth, the internet can make it even easier to do. Did you ever think you could increase your happiness with a click of a button? Through my work with Our Revolution, I’ve come across some great services and resources that help with social activism. Check them out: Endorse For A Cause – Endorse for a Cause is an exciting new online community where Members are able to recommend products and brands to their friends over social networks and earn money for their favorite non-profit Social Vibe Gives – Social Vibe is the leading social media utility connecting people with brands, empowering them to engage with sponsors and share branded content to benefit a cause of their choice Rec.fm – Rec.fm is a tool that allows you to make recommendations to your friends about brands and products and help your favorite charities by integrating with popular social networks like [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Entrepreneurship, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Also tagged charity with, donate with, endorse for a cause, for charity, increase your happiness, janae, one cause, our revolution, rec.fm, social activism, social vibe, to charity, what is a charity, you can donate
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January 24, 2012 – 9:43 am
As a freelancer, it can be hard to know where the market is for your skill sets. Many of the freelancers I know continue to market towards what has worked for them in the past. And why not? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. Makes sense, right? Though that may work as a short term solution, even freelancers need to look towards trends. Freelancer.com, the largest outsourcing marketplace, has recently released its list of the top 50 freelance job trends for the fourth quarter of 2011. Freelancer.com has gathered stats from 134,820 online jobs that were posted over the last quarter of 2011, which represent a 18.3% increase from Q3. Here are the important trending freelance jobs: According to Freelancer.com: Android takes off again in Q4. After a slow Q3, Android jobs rocketed up 33% (to 2,454) in Q4. Apple iPhone jobs grew 18% (to 3,682). By the end of 2012, Android should be close to overtaking the iPhone for the rate of development of new applications. Apple iPad jobs rose 22% (to 1692). Blackberry jobs were flat, up 2%, but with volumes too low to register on the Fast 50. As reported before, Symbian and Windows phone [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Uncategorized
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Also tagged freelance, freelance freelance, freelance it, freelance jobs, how to freelance, i freelance, janae, live anywhere, start a startup, the freelancer, what is freelance
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January 10, 2012 – 10:11 am
Yesterday, I was asked when the revision of How to Start Your Business with $100 would be out and what I will include in this one. Though I do not have an exact date yet for when it will be released (I’m still finishing up my book on social change), I can tell you that besides all the goodies that are in the first version, we will include: * Social Media 101 * Social Media ROI * SEO 101 * Top Mobile apps for Productivity and much more! Until then, I am happy to give you guys a complimentary copy of the book. Download Your Complimentary Ebook Now. Please feel free to pass it on and share it with people. This 120+-page ebook gives you access to: Over 197 resources and tools to help you start your business Guide to branding your business Marketing tips to use in a B2B and B2C market Budgeting and Financial research Joint Venture Contract Template Proven negotiating techniques How to build a website with very little money Integration of email and social media Step-by-step guide on how to start your business within 30 days If you know a budding entrepreneur, small startup or freelancer, [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged $100 business, $100 startup, business plan, business with less than $100, how to open business, how to own a business, how to start a startup, how to start your business, how to start your business with $100, ideas for small business, janae, social change, social media 101, social media roi, software startup, start business, starting a business with $100, starting a business with less than $100, starting a business with little money, starting a startup, startup america, startup companies, startup company, startup programs, startups, the startup
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