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: , , , ,

The Knowledge Timer is Set to On

December 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Coleman Yard Stake with Outdoor Mechanical Timer

Coleman Yard Stake with Outdoor Mechanical Timer

Christmastime dilemma:  last year, you bought a fantastic timer to control exactly when your outdoor Christmas lights would turn on and off.  This year, you’ve located the timer and the outdoor lights, but you can’t remember how to work the timer and can’t find the timer directions.

What can you do?  Google the answer, of course (I know a certain married couple who actually solved this same dilemma yesterday by doing so).

It seems that answers to holiday questions and myriads of other question types are only a few clicks away in our modern mobile computing age.

But, can you remember a different time when information wasn’t so readily available?

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s while growing up down South, I can remember how access to certain information was hard to reach.  For example, there were only a couple of ways that my sisters, mother and women friends of ours could gain access to knowledge about the latest “New York fashions.”  We could watch the daily wardrobe changes of TV soap opera characters like Erica Kane, try to catch Elsa Klensch’s fashion segments on CNN or take actual trips to NYC itself, which we occasionally managed.  With our limited access to related information at the time, the fashion world in NYC and other global cities like Paris seemed so exotic.

This year, when I accessed actual New York Fashion Week runway segments directly on my computer via Live Runway, I had to smile inside, imagining how excited I would have been as a teenage girl with that kind of direct access to the latest trends in global fashion.

No doubt, computer technology has helped to democratize our access to all types of information, fashion-related and otherwise.

My question is:  now that so many of us have more access to the information that we seek, what are we doing with our enhanced knowledge?

What about you?  What kind of once-hidden information has today’s technology provided to you, and how are you using the new information that you’ve learned?

Last, in this age of Big Data and in these days of information deluge, what critical information do you think remains hidden?

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

How Memorable is Your Memory?

December 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

String Around Finger When was the last time that you gave thought to the things that you’ve committed to memory?

Often the facts that we commit to memory serve to protect us.  A red light means stop.  A green light means go.  Don’t touch a hot stove.

Many times we remember facts for fun (you can’t win a poker game if you don’t know the rules, right?).

Some memories serve as teachers.  We sometimes recall factual situations that we don’t wish to repeat in the future.  Lessons learned, so to speak.

And, then, there are those memories that sustain us.  For example, how many soldiers at war have held on to the memories of loved ones as incentive to keep on fighting until the day that they’re able to return home?

Some have said that the ability to imagine is a gift.  What do you think about the ability to remember?  Do you consider memory to be a blessing?

And, how would you categorize your memories, if asked?  Which are your favorite memories?

Call me a romantic, but the memories that I cherish the most are those that I’ve shared with loved ones.

The Bacon Brothers speak to the desire to remember the one you love in their beautiful song, Memorize.

Listen as they sing, “let me memorize you,” and the rest of the lyrics.  Maybe their tune will be one that you won’t forget.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , ,

Thanksgiving in Sand

November 25, 2012 by 2 Comments

Thanks written in sandCare to take a guess about which hashtags were most popular during Thanksgiving 2012?

#Thanksgiving and #turkey, maybe?  Or, what about #Sandy?

I’m not sure about the hashtag answer, but I did read the ABC News report about the Instagram claim that more than 100 photos per second were being uploaded to its site on Thanksgiving Day with the #Thanksgiving hashtag.

What about you?  Did you express your thanks and gratitude this year via social media channels?

This year, rather than via snail mail or email, I sent a Thanksgiving card to family and friends via a Smilebox-enabled Facebook post.

And, what about giving this year?  Have you by chance made a charitable contribution to help those in need during the 2012 Thanksgiving season?

It’s not too late to make a donation to those in the U.S. who have suffered from Hurricane Sandy.  The Charity Navigator organization has provided a list of legitimate charitable organizations aiding Hurricane Sandy victims.

In the spirit of giving and Thanksgiving 2012, I’d like to mention another legitimate charity that is aiding Sandy victims and was recently established by a New Jersey-based musician and former N.C. high school classmate of mine.

Sand Aid is a New Jersey-based charitable organization, established by Rodney Hargis, that’s organizing benefit concerts to raise funds for Sandy victims.  I invite you to join me in contributing to Sand Aid.

Let’s let our fellow Americans in New Jersey know that we recognize that their dreams and homes are more than the “castles made of sand,” that Jimi sang about.  Let’s help them keep their foundations strong.

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

Learning With Apples and Mrs. Beasley

November 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Mrs. Beasley doll image at www.vintage-bliss.com

Mrs. Beasley talking toy image at http://www.vintage-bliss.com

Earlier today, I heard Microsoft chairman Bill Gates responding to the question of what it will take to reinvigorate the U.S. K-12 educational system.

Incorporating technology that engages students more in the learning process into American classrooms was a part of his answer, and I agree with that suggestion.

After hearing Gates speak today, my mind drifted back to my childhood.

I recalled my first Apple personal computer and how my twin sister and I often excitedly sat on the same chair seat while we together learned how to use a computer for the first time.

Prior to the computer, we had some engaging toys that stimulated our thinking — a favorite one being Mrs. Beasley.  Who’s Mrs. Beasley?

Before Cindy Brady’s character on the famous ‘70s TV show, “The Brady Bunch,” had her Kitty Carryall doll, there was another young girl on another famous show who carried another famous doll, and that doll was Mrs. Beasley.

The character of Buffy on the late ‘60s TV show, “Family Affair,” was Mrs. Beasley’s owner.  I first became aware of Mrs. Beasley in the early ‘70s, while watching reruns of Family Affair, and I can remember the excitement of becoming a Mattel Mrs. Beasley talking toy doll owner myself.

The Mrs. Beasley doll had a voice recorder inside its body that posed questions to its owner, when the owner activated the recorder with a pull string.  Much of the joy that came from playing with Mrs. Beasley derived from the voice recorder technology component of the doll.  Mrs. Beasley’s ability to “talk to” her owner was highly engaging.

But, what did I learn from countless hours spent “talking” with Mrs. Beasley?  I don’t have an exact answer, but I’m sure that my verbal, thinking and imaginative skills were stoked.

I’m pleased to say that I still have my Mrs. Beasley doll, though she is now mute, due to the fact that her voice recorder is no longer working.  Even so, I’ll never forget Mrs. Beasley’s question, “If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?”

If my Mrs. Beasley doll could ask me that question today, I would respond by telling her that one of my wishes would be for all of the world’s children to have the pleasure of access to engaging technologies while learning.

What about you?  What role do you think technology can play in engaging our youth in the learning process?  And what were some of your favorite, pre-computer, engaging technologies and toys? (If you’d like, listen to a working Mrs. Beasley doll pose all of her questions.)

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

Taking Stock of Your Personal Shares

October 28, 2012 by 1 Comment
Share word image by HubSpo

Share word image by HubSpot

As a digital marketer, when I hear the word, “share,” my mind often goes first to the concept of “social sharing,” i.e., the idea of sharing marketing messages via social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

However, I also enjoy following business and financial news, so my thoughts often head in a financial direction, specifically towards the U.S. stock market, upon hearing the word, “share.”

For example, my ears perked up on Friday (10/26/12) after hearing the latest news about shares of Apple stock.  Apple shares were down 1.9% and fell below $600 for the first time in three months, after Apple’s warning that its costs for making new products will likely cut into its profits in fourth quarter 2012.

What about you?  Do you pay attention to financial news and reports about U.S. or international shares of stock?  If so, which financial news channels do you visit to learn the latest news on the financial front?

If you visit Google, you can easily find consolidated lists of financial news sites, such as this list of
“10 Financial Websites That Help You Stay On Top of the Market.”

I’d like to mention a fairly new online community that’s dedicated to educating women on financial issues and helping women better manage and build their personal net worth.  In 2009, young entrepreneur Amanda Steinberg, founded the DailyWorth community, and the community’s DailyWorth e-newsletter now has more than 20,000 subscribers.

I enjoy reading the easy-to-understand, valuable financial tips that are shared in each DailyWorth
e-newsletter issue that I receive, and I’ve even had the pleasure to speak with Amanda directly, after she invited subscribers like me to call her and share feedback and ideas for inclusion in future e-newsletter issues.  As a woman in business, I admire and appreciate Amanda’s open leadership style.

Back to sharing, the Wikipedia definition of the word, “sharing,” includes this statement: “Sharing is a basic component of human interaction, and is responsible for strengthening social ties and ensuring a person’s well-being.”

How often do you share in your life? What do you share and through which channels?

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»