Cajun Shrimp and Other Names

February 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What do you think of when you hear the words, “Cajun Shrimp?”

Cha-Ching Cherry OPI nail polish image

Cha-Ching Cherry OPI nail polish image

A recipe, maybe?  Cajun shrimp and grits, perhaps?

What about nail polish?

Come on…haven’t you heard?

Obviously, you gents are excused, but, ladies, surely some of you must have thought of OPI’s Cajun Shrimp polish upon considering the question?

Oscar night has inspired this tongue-in-cheek post today, so I have to ask a follow-up, related question:  Have you ever considered the science of nail polish naming?

I’m actually not sure if naming nail polish constitutes a science, per se, but, as a marketer who happens to be a female, I’ve always thought the job of creating creative taglines or branding for an individual nail polish color would be a cool job.

For example, consider these five nail polish names:

  1. Henna-Thing Is Possible
  2. Did Someone Say Party?
  3. Don’t Wine…Yukon Do It
  4. Cha-Ching Cherry 
  5. Pink Before You Speak

Come on, my fellow marketers, wouldn’t it be at the least non-boring to devise similar examples of turn of phrase as an assigned marketing task?

Whether you are a marketer or not, if you were asked today to name the color of a nail polish that might adorn the nails of women worldwide, what would the moniker be?

Consider all of the happenings in the world today. Consider the global economic climate. Then consider all of those unpolished nails.

Again, what are your naming ideas?  What are your suggestions?

“Too Much,” maybe?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , ,

When 23 Turns 50

February 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
readycheers.com North Carolina #23 jersey image

readycheers.com North Carolina #23 jersey image

To start this post, I have to give recognition to a U.S. female sports professional who made history earlier today. Despite all the hoopla about her personal life of late, Danica Patrick drove into the sports history books today, becoming the first woman to win the pole position for the Daytona 500.  Congrats to Danica, and, now, on to another famous athlete…

Though we’ve already witnessed a plethora of stories in the news this weekend about basketball great Michael Jordan reaching his milestone 50th birthday today, I’m adding this post to the chorus.

As a North Carolina native and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) alumna who grew up only about two hours from Michael’s childhood home of Wilmington, N.C., I have to admit that, no matter any controversial stories that may have arisen about Jordan over the years, I usually smile when the topic of “MJ” comes up.

Why?  Because of the positive associated memories, of course.  When I hear about or speak of Michael Jordan, the days of my youth here in ACC country return.

For example, I recall my cassette tape with the radio-recorded “Here We Come New Orleans” song that I played via Magnavox boombox at my parents’ game-viewing party on that fun night in 1982 when the Tarheels beat the Georgetown Bulldogs to win the NCAA Men’s Division I National Basketball Championship.  I can still hear the celebratory shouts of joy as well as, “Jordan!”

And, what about those Air Jordan shoes?  I can recall so many of the teenage boys at my high school wearing them.  Then there were my college years in Chapel Thrill.  I can still see the Chicago Bulls posters featuring Jordan hanging on the dorm room walls of so many of my male counterparts.

The inspiration that so many Tarheels, like me, received from Number 23 on that championship night back in 1982 seemed to expand to the nation and then to the world.  Yes, before there was a Tiger or a Serena or a Venus, there was Mike.

Michael Jordan was one of the first U.S. athletes to establish himself as a unique marketing brand, and, none of us here in the U.S. were immune to the national advertising campaigns that highlighted Mike and his basketball feats, as his basketball career and star rose. Who could forget this Gatorade TV commercial spot with its “Be Like Mike” tagline?

Certainly Michael Jordan’s practiced skills and God-given talents helped him reach the highest peaks of basketball success, but, without doubt, a massive marketing machine also helped his star ascend — so much so that millions of people today are reflecting on what it means when number 23 turns into number 50.

For me, today evokes happy memories of long-gone Tarheel times and is a reminder of how much a Tarheel can achieve.  Years ago, I realized that I’ll never, “be like Mike.”  But, that’s OK. I’m content just to like Mike and wish him all the best.  Thanks for the memories and Happy 50th, Number 23!

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The Yin and Yang of Good News and Bad News

February 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
123rf.com's Good News Bad News origami image

123rf.com’s Good News Bad News origami image

“Life is full of hills and valleys.”  Those seven words that my father told me years ago still ring true in my ears today.  It surely seems that life is full of ups and downs.

The juxtaposition of success and failure in life highlights an important question that we all can consider: is it possible to be successful in life without having failed at some point?

If national news coverage is any indicator, the answer to that question is, “no.”  U.S. media outlets today are quick to report the downfalls of our national “heroes” – individuals who often previously are deemed by that same media as darlings for having achieved successes in their respective fields. Need some recent examples?

Consider all of the national news articles that you may have read in the past about cycling great Lance Armstrong, and then consider the recent news coverage of his doping admission and fall from grace. And, do you recall how former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and military officer David Petraeus was heralded nationally by the media over the years?  Now, think of all the news coverage about his adulterous affair and ultimate resignation from the CIA.

If U.S. “heroes” like Armstrong and Petraeus reflect who we are and what we can achieve and accomplish in terms of success, we can surely expect some failures along with our successes and to experience a mix of good and bad in the cocktail of life.

How do you feel about the U.S. media today in terms of reporting the successes and failures of individuals?  Do you think that news coverage of the good and the bad is equal in weight?  Or, do you think our national news outlets provide more coverage when it comes to reporting the failures of those who have previously been successful?

Last, are we currently addicted to seeing the rise and fall of individuals in U.S. news reporting? And, if so, why?  Maybe it’s because we’re all climbing, as media-hailed and media-slammed Miley Cyrus sang a few years ago.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Duex Dames et L’Artiste

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Do you know the name of the below French artist?

wikimedia.org image

wikimedia.org image

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know the identity of the two ladies from Baltimore pictured below?

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

I hope that the number of those of you who know the answer to the second question above equals or surpasses the number of those of you who know the answer to the first question.

If you do know the identity of the ladies and gent above, I’d like to ask this follow-up question: do you think the ladies may have made the man?

I’d love to hear your opinion as to what extent the duex dames’ interest and funds may have influenced the artist’s career and impact on art history.

Last, if you’re a Research Triangle area local, don’t miss catching the “Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore” exhibit at Duke University’s Nasher Musuem of Art before the exhibit concludes on February 10.

I had the pleasure of doing so today, and I can attest that viewing the works of Matisse, Van Gogh and Picasso up close and personal was a treat.  My thanks to Claribel and Etta for providing the opportunity.

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Watch Out! You’re About to Become a Query

January 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
digital busstop-com's "Big browser is watching you" image

digitalbusstop-com’s “Big browser is watching you” image

If you read the Wikipedia definition of “query,” you’ll learn that a web search query in computing is a “query entered by users into web search engines.”

What’s your favorite web search engine?  If you’re located here in the U.S., you’re likely to respond by stating, “Google,” “Yahoo,” or “Bing.”  If you live outside of the U.S., your answer could be the same or may be different.  In France, for example, you might offer up, “Voila,” as your response to the question.

What type of technology platform do you use most often to perform web search queries?  For example, do you most often conduct online searches using your mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer?

Since the latest technology industry stats are predicting that mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common way to access the web by 2014, I would venture to guess that your response to the previous question might be, “mobile phone.”

Speaking of mobile computing and its potential impact on search engine optimization (SEO), did you by chance catch Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s videotaped interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week?

I enjoyed hearing Mayer’s predictions about the future of mobile computing and SEO, and I especially enjoyed hearing her predictions about how the concepts of personalization and customized search engine results will impact SEO moving forward.  Mayer suggested that personalization won’t replace search in the future but will become a critical part of search, stating:

“One provocative way to think about it is this…a lot of folks say, when you type into the search box, that’s your query.  In the future, you become the query…it’s what you type, it’s your background, it’s where you are, it’s your preferences, it’s what you looked at yesterday…and the search box can take all that as the input and come up with a set of results that are customized for you.  And, the nice thing is that if you’re the query, then 1-you can actually explicitly type in search terms, or you could just be the query passively…this is the notion that if we can pick up on your context…who you’re talking to, where you are, then can we actually provide useful information or a series of links, pictures, videos that are actually more useful in your current context because of that context?”

What do you think of Mayer’s suggestion that you, as a user of search engines, will become the query in the future?  Do you like the idea that your online actions, i.e. user preference “signals” that you emit, will be mapped to information supplied by online organizations who will be watching your every online move?  Do you think the benefits that you will gain from a more personalized online search experience in the future will outweigh any concerns you might hold about your online behavior being more closely tracked?

If the idea that your online search behavior will be more closely watched in the future bothers you, you may want to evolve your thinking.  According to Mayer, that future reality may be closer than you think.  “I think it’s probably going to happen in the next three to five years,” Mayer stated in her interview last week.

Filed Under: SEO and Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

And the Respect Beat Goes On

January 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
Aretha Franklin Respect 45 Record Image

Aretha Franklin “Respect” 45 record image

Are you familiar with the U.S. Council on Women and Girls?

In March 2009, President Barack Obama established the organization via Executive Order.  The purpose of the order was to, “establish a coordinated Federal response to issues that particularly impact the lives of women and girls and to ensure that Federal programs and policies address and take into account the distinctive concerns of women and girls, including women of color and those with disabilities.”

One such issue that has impacted the lives of women is the issue of equal pay in the historical and modern workplace.  For example, the 2009 Executive Order that established the Council on Women and Girls stated, “On average, American women continue to earn only about 78 cents for every dollar men make.”

If you are a woman, where do you stand when it comes to the concept of “equal pay for equal work,” and where do you think that concept should be applied?

For example, do you think the equal pay for equal work concept should be applied to women and men who are earning their livings playing professional sports?

If so, there is at least one modern professional sportsman who disagrees with you.

According to a thinkprogress.org, during the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, the 13th ranked men’s tennis player in the world at the time, Gilles Simon, criticized the tournament’s move to pay male and female players equally by stating, “We often speak of equal money, but I think it’s something that doesn’t work in sport.”

Does Simon’s opinion surprise you?  Should there be a different standard applied when it comes to equal pay when the work occurs on a tennis court or on a NASCAR track (I’d bet that Danica doesn’t think so)?

I’ve heard some women make statements such as, “if we want to be treated equally, then we need to stop creating councils for women and talking about ‘women’s issues’ and instead discuss issues that affect all of us – men and women alike.”

What do you think?

Both Simon’s statements last June and the fact that the U.S. Council on Women and Girls was created by an Executive Order as recently as 2009 make me question how far women have progressed in our society at large.

Aretha first sang about women’s desire for “Respect” in 1967, but I think that her woman cry for gender equality, without a doubt, still applies.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Which Gal Would You Walk a Mile For?

January 13, 2013 by 2 Comments

Are you familiar with the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes organization?

Founded in 2001 by Frank Baird, the organization highlights the contributions that “tens of thousands of men” are making to raise “millions of dollars for local rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs.”

Maybe you’ve seen fun photos like this one of Walk the Mile charity walk participants, including men walking wearing women’s high-heeled shoes?

In light of the news of yet another gang rape in India, it’s refreshing to remember the fact that there are countless men in this world who support women and women’s rights.

Speaking of the idea of “walking in her shoes,” I was able to walk in my mother’s shoes, so to speak, this past weekend.

While attending the 2013 North Carolina Governor’s Inaugural Ball, I wore a dress that my mother wore back in the early 1970s.  Here are photos of my mom and me in the dress:

photo

 

photo

 

 

 

 

 

What an honor it was for me to wear the dress of a woman who continues to inspire me.  I could never fill her shoes, but, for one night, I did give her dress a whirl.

What about you?  Which women do you admire?  Which ladies inspire you?  Which women would you walk a mile for?

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Daryn and Me

January 5, 2013 by 1 Comment
Forbes.com image of woman at mike

Forbes.com image of a woman singing at a mike

Have you heard of Daryn Kagan?  In 2008, Daryn, an American broadcast journalist and former CNN anchor, authored a book entitled, “What’s Possible! 50 True Stories of People Who Dared to Dream They Could Make a Difference.”  If you’re interested in reading some uplifting stories, check out Daryn’s book.

Daryn’s own personal story is also uplifting.  After spending more than 12 years in a traditional news job at CNN, in 2006, she walked away from CNN to launch an award-winning website, DarynKagan.com.

The unique aspect of her website at the time was the fact that the site exclusively featured inspirational news content.  Also, the website design included a “Tell Me Your Story!” section to solicit feedback from site visitors who had their own unique stories of inspiration to share.  In fact, in her book, Daryn reported: “70 percent of the stories on the website now come from folks writing in.”  Talk about having an idea that was ahead of its time!  Back in 2006, Daryn was already succeeding in gathering and sharing user generated content, long before the social media marketers of today turned their collective focus toward that goal.

Since I started this MySheCave blog, I’ve enjoyed sharing a variety of content.  However, international news stories of late have narrowed my focus and reminded me of one of my original goals in establishing this blog.  Here are some examples of such news reports:

When I started this blog, I made a statement that “every woman deserves a SheCave.”  What I really meant to say was that every woman deserves the time, space and opportunity to be all of herself and to experience equality in our modern world.

Like Daryn, moving forward in 2013, I plan to use this blog to voice and share inspirational stories about people, with the caveat that many of those inspirational stories will be related to women and girls.

So, get ready.  Like Helen did in 1975, this woman is about to roar about the historical accomplishments and future potential of women around the globe.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Ultimate Content King

December 23, 2012 by 1 Comment
Crown of Righteousness image

Crown of Righteousness image

“Content is king.”

If you’re a digital marketer today, no doubt you’ve heard the above statement uttered countless times during 2012.

For marketers, this year has been a year of clear focus on digital content creation.  Just today, for example, I read a Twitter tweet touting “8 Ideas for Creating Content.”

If you’re a marketer, how do you feel about the task of content creation?  Do you think that the task is brand new, or do you think that the task of content creation is actually a repeat of the news gathering techniques of days gone by?

Do you think that the term, “content creation,” is a modern buzzword for an older marketing or journalistic technique, or do you think the term represents a new marketing task or function?

It’s Christmastime, and, as a marketer who is also a Christian, I want to turn the focus of this post away from the idea that content is king.

Rather, I’d like to promote the idea that Jesus is king when it comes to the content of our lives.

“King of kings,” in fact.

May His peace be with all of you who read this post.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Elves and Pied Pipers

December 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Each year at Christmastime here in America, thousands of parents participate in the Elf on the Shelf Tradition with their children.

In recent years and with the advent of social media, I’ve enjoyed seeing my friends’ photos of their adopted Elves in surprise locations within their homes.

After the unspeakable school tragedy in Newtown, CT on Friday, a Facebook Friend shared this photo of one elf, Alfred, originally taken by Pumpkin Pie Photography:

Pumpkin Pie Photography image of Alfred the Elf

Pumpkin Pie Photography image of Alfred the Elf

I also want to include a poem that references the Pied Piper legend drafted yesterday, December 15, by my twin sister, Caroline Dobson Chavez:

Thoughts on Newton, CT

Yesterday I spied the Pied Piper,
Playing a deluding dirge.
I watched in horror as fear and grief began to quickly merge,
Into an olden memory lost
Of a time gone by
When I was in the first grade
Without a care of why
Oh Piper, yesterday you may have briefly won
A crowd of small ones lost
But there is One whose love out-conquers you,
Who never counts the cost
He holds them now within His arms
And His mercy does outshine,
Any tune that you could create
to cause your pipe to whine
So I awoke today and thought anew,
Of your uninspired trance
I thought of Who is in control
And my heart began to dance
They’ll sing and laugh and play again
Someday with their parents too
They just will have to wait awhile ,
All because of you.
So for the future I hope you’ll stop
And march a separate way
And let all God’s children live and grow
To enjoy all their days.
But if you play and play you must
another mortal tune
Keep in mind they’re not yours to keep,
Because of my Savior’s boon.

At a time like this one in U.S. history when words are difficult to come by, to me, the photo of Alfred the Elf and the poem that my sister wrote really say it all.

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,
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