Last week, Mashable published a story that took a look at “slacktivists.” You know…folks who do “easy” things online like sign a petition, like a Facebook page for a causes or add retweet a charitable tweet. The article titled, “Why Slacktivism Is Underrated,” showcases research from a 2010 national survey demonstrating the value of this core group. The survey shows that those who take small social actions for a cause are more likely to take [...]
FACT: One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. While October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this is something that we need to be talking about year-round. Avon is an avid supporter of organizations and programs that not only support breast cancer research but also those that work to prevent violence against women. As part of their efforts, they have created a special line of “Empowerment” products which donate 100% [...]
On November 10th, the American Cancer Society and TheMotherhood.com present “The Pursuit of Healthiness Powered by Social Media,” an online symposium discussing how women can leverage their influence online to improve public health in their respective communities. I am honored to be one of the panelists and will join a dynamic group of women around this issue. My fellow panelists are: Gina Carroll, Moms Clean Air Force Renee Ross, Fellow ACS Blogger Advisory Council Member [...]
My friend, Jalaine, sent me a link to a new site that promises to be a bit dangerous for those of you with online shopping addictions. The site, Community Collection, is essentially like “Gilt Groupe for Good.” Individuals shop curated collections and 20% of each purchase benefits a charity selected by the respective designer. You can shop handbags from Claire Vivier, jewelry from Alexis Bittar, Alexander Wang sunglasses, or cozy sweaters from Cut25. There are [...]
I’m posting this a little later than I planned but this morning, I was really inspired by a series of tweets posted by Jesse Jones. Jesse is the creator of “U-Logy 101,” a motivational program to help you find and do what you really love. He spoke at Blogalicious over the weekend and I had a chance to meet him after his session. He’s not only very kind but also passionate about his work. This [...]
This morning, I came across a video posted on NBC Chicago‘s website about Second Act, a cancer recovery boutique providing wigs and post-breast surgery products for women. In the clip, the owner Patti Cagney Sheehan discusses how she decided to start her business and shows us some examples of prosthetic garments. This video jumped out at me because it pays attention to the “and then what…” aspect of battling a major illness. Also, it deals [...]
A couple of weekends ago, I had a chance to be a part of something truly amazing. My friend, Josh Mercer, held a girls’ sports and empowerment clinic through his Swish Dreams Educational Foundation at a school in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. From the second that I walked through the door, I feel the energy and excitement buzzing in through the place. Josh has been running a series of successful clinics for a few years [...]
A couple of weekends ago, I spent a few days with a group of amazing women as part of The White House Project’s “Go Run” leadership training. I still need to write a full recap of the events, but it was a powerful experience. I learned so much from TWHP’s leadership team, the speakers, and all of my conference mates. Over the course of two and a half days, some of us clocked 25 hours [...]
According to the Social Change Impact Report from Walden University, 85% of Americans believe they can make the world a better place with their own actions and 92% have taken action to engage in positive social change in the past year. I loved reading this report because it shows that most of us really do care about something other than ourselves. While it seems so basic, it’s easy for us to get so caught up in [...]
Happy Monday, everyone! After nine long months, we have finally made it to October and I am beyond jazzed for two main reasons… This is the month of my fabulous birth (#teamlibra) It’s the first month of the last quarter of 2011 (Time to finish strong) I feel so blessed every year around October 1st. I know that this is the month where I became a blessing to my parents and to the world as [...]
