Regulation of content and freedom of speech

Last week a group of hungry, ambitious set of geeks were set out to prove themselves and their abilities. Their tasks were to scan and investigate two laptops and find evidence of spyware, corrupt files, evidence of hard drive tampering, and research on what goes into content regulation on the net, in print, in films and constitutional rights of freedom of speech.

Next three law students received stipends to research statutes on cybercrimes and what constitutes as evidence when presenting a case.



**DISCLAIMER: The material on this blog is produced/reproduced for enjoyment, review and information purposes only. The images contained within this site, with the exception of those represented to be originally produced by THE SPECTRUM GROUP or Michelle Weston, are believed to be in the public domain. They have been obtained either from public domain libraries on the Internet or contributed to THE SPECTRUM GROUP by users of this service. THE SPECTRUM GROUP does not sell or license any of these public domain images.

Branding Part II: From Reality Based Shows to Personal Careers

Television Network Branding

Reality-based show can evoke one to be inspired to change by the viewers that watch them. According to the TV Writers Vault reality-based shows "identify unique professions or lifestyles and that of the simplest and most successful sub-genres of reality show, is the documentary style series covering unique professions or lifestyles.

According to the TV Writers Vault, these stories serve the insatiable curiosity viewers have to gain insight into other peoples lives and jobs covered in documentary style format.

According to Randee Dawn at the LA Times, the rush to remain relevant and visible among hundreds of other competitors and today's attention-fragmented audiences, cable channels have recently begun wising up and becoming a 360-degree experience for their viewers. Some may have gone the way of edgy, original programming but, more often than not, when a cable network decides to do a makeover of its brand, it turns to reality television to make it work.

**DISCLAIMER: The material on this blog is produced/reproduced for enjoyment, review and information purposes only. The images contained within this site, with the exception of those represented to be originally produced by THE SPECTRUM GROUP or Michelle Weston, are believed to be in the public domain. They have been obtained either from public domain libraries on the Internet or contributed to THE SPECTRUM GROUP by users of this service. THE SPECTRUM GROUP does not sell or license any of these public domain images.

Branding Part I: From Reality Based Shows to Personal Careers

What is branding?

According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), a brand is a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller, or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those (service marks) of other sellers. (Laura Lake, About.com Guide)

'Branding does not motivate your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem. To succeed, you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.' (Laura Lake, About.com Guide)

'A strong brand is invaluable. Your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.' (Laura Lake, About.com Guide)

Rob Frankel, a branding expert and author in Los Angeles, says, that "it is not advertising and it's not marketing or PR. Branding happens before all of those: First you create the brand, then you raise awareness of it." (Bloomberg Business Week, 2009)

On November 5, 2010, The Oxygen Network aired House of Glam Season 1, Ep. 5, called "Atiba's Dilemma". The House of Glam Reality show is about one of the leading boutique agencies in the fashion and entertainment industries, the B. Lynn Group, it's CEO, Brandi Simpkins, and the groups' clients.

In an article by Hope Today Magazine, Brandi discussed how she manages and represents ten careers and wanted to grow her clients' careers in the direction that they would like to go in. In the article, she mentioned that her goal is to brand them as experts in their field. "The goal has always been to help my clients get to where they want to go." It was her idea (along with others) to create a reality show. In this episode, the B. Lynn Groups' well known stylist, Crystal Streets, puts her new assistant Shaun to the test styling for a charity event (Dress For Success) while Atiba lets off steam at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.



Brandi Simkins' idea of branding for the show was threefold:


• branding for the B. Lynn Group
• branding for her individual client stylists
• branding for the companies/organizations serviced/supported

In this episode, Tina Greene, Executive Director of Dress For Success Essex County, experienced, shared, and motivated her Professional Women's Group (PWG) to become a part of that vision of branding for Dress For Success Essex, and the individual members of PWG. The mission of the Professional Women's group is to provide their network of "employed" women the partnership of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and life and the entire group received top notch advice from the B. Lynn Groups' well known industry stylist, Crystal Streets, on appropriate attire when meeting with clients, or going on job interviews. We also received advice about application of make-up by professional make-up, Tia Dantzler, and others.













Crystal Streets presenting at the taping of House of Glams' Season 1, Ep. 5, called "Atiba's Dilemma"



Left to Right Brandi Simpkins, Tina Green, Kathleen Johnson, Crystal Streets, and Dr. Audrey Kuinn of Derma Doctors


Several days earlier, Tina, Executive Director of Dress For Success Essex County, had called me and asked me if I wanted to come down and participate in a make-over session with her Professional Women's Group (PWG) and the B. Lynn Group.

Several months prior to that invitation, I had been attending the PWG meetings, monthly. It was a great resource for me since I knew that it would be of value to me as a owner of a business.

When Tina and I, had met initially, at my school where she held her monthly PWG meetings, we brainstormed on how and where we had previously met. I had talked with Tina about my professional work, and the advocacy work performed over the past ten years, for Woman Infants and Children and how a branch of her organization (Hudson) had "dressed" me for one of the Breastfeeding Alliances' annual Breastfeeding Week activities, where I was selected to give a speech.

It was symbolic for me to represent women supporting women and my goal to go to that public speaking event armed and ready to discuss women, women's issues, and the great organizations that support them. As the audience rose to their feet, I could feel that my message was well received.



(Tina, board member, Anita, and I attended the kick-off of Citibank's Financial Literacy Workshops. I attended every meeting until the group stopped meeting at the regular location.)

Success is not only about getting a job; it's about building a career. (Dress For Success)

Personal Careers and Branding

When Tina and I first met, I explained that in 2007, I put my business/career on hold to make some hard decisions to:

• live with the freedom of my own thoughts
• be confident of my own value and worth
• return to school to obtain additional skills
• leave behind the people that I have outgrown



I had been supporting top executives while running my business, raising two children, and being active in my children's schools. It was time for me to move into an executive position and take my company to another level. But before doing so, I also needed to take a break while having my third child, invest more time in my family, and re-strategize, re-brand, and re-build. Competing in Citibanks' financial literacy competition seemed to me, a great way to execute some of the financial planning.

New set of Career Goals

Initially, while re-building, I submitted a business plan to the Oh! Get The Money Build Your Own Business With Oxygen. I met the contest requirements however, the winner,had a readily available, tangible product (and prototypes) to get production going right away. It was now up to OXYGEN to assist her with the branding, in which they did an awesome job.!!! I was very proud for her and all women business owners that participated in that contest. Good News!!! I have been working with one of the bankers that I met through taking the PWG financial literacy classes. PWG is an awesome support group.

While I was more of a creative person in the past, over the years, i have found myself becoming more technical and realized I needed to make Continuing Education a "life commitment". It was perfect that the professional meetings were held at my school. I knew I could fit the monthly meetings with no problems and so I enlisted in the group and have never looked back.


For me, PWG has been about supporting all kinds of working women, through knowledge of branding one own's career to yield positive results. I have invested heavily in my business and business equipment. However, I had not invested time in branding: (promoting me) and what makes me qualified and credible in what I do which is creating dynamic content on the back and front end. I have finally realized the depth of all my past experiences culminated together to perform in my new role as Chief Engineer/Producer. Now it is my responsibility to establish the who, what, when, why, and how.


On the day of the taping, I graciously accepted the invitation, packed up my things, and headed over to Newark, where a van was waiting to take all the PWG women of Dress For Success to the hotel where the show was being taped.

While taping the show, two things happened, I ran into an executive, that I had met several years earlier that worked at Bad Boy Entertainment who now works with another record label. I asked her if she remembered how she knew me and she replied yes. The events that happened after will expand several chapters of my book but, I must say, it was nice running into her there. The taping went well and the "fundraiser" brought in donations from the Derma Doctor and representatives of the Dr. Miracles hair products.

Ironically, I did not get to see that show because I was working on some final touches of editing a documentary with one of my own clients and ended up having near death experience while trying to wrap it up. But I was later able to download it for $1.99 on http://www.amazon.com/Atibas-Dilemma/dp/B004B5ATYC.



Whether looking to move up the corporate ladder at your current organization, find a position at another company, make a major career change, or start your own enterprise, you will no longer be hunting for your next position. Instead, opportunities will come to you. Colleagues, hiring managers, clients, and recruiters will use Google as well as social and professional networks to find out about you and reach you. To thrive in this new environment, you must identify your personal assets and clearly communicate your unique promise of value. Your credibility and visibility will drive demand for your services. You must use who you are to affect how you earn. (2007-2011 William Arruda & Kirsten Dixson)

That's where Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand comes in. It enables you to:

•determine how others perceive you
•reshape those perceptions to achieve your goals
•communicate your message about your personal brand clearly and consistently
•become the must-have professional by being yourself.

....To be continued

E-1

Willie Sanchez: Phenomenal People who encourage and support their communities

by Michelle Weston

With the encouragement of fellow colleague, Marlene, I have been afforded the opportunity and experience of a lifetime to work with an Emmy award winning television producer Willie Sanchez, whose show Images/Imagenes has covered cultural events and issues facing New Jersey’s Latino community since its premiere in 1972. Whenever I have free time aside from the kids' activities, and my work, I seize any opportunity to support Mr. Sanchez and his cause through volunteerism.



Images/Imagenes is the longest running Hispanic affairs program in the PBS system and one of the longest running television programs of its kind in the country. In conjunction with the series, NJN produces the annual Hispanic Youth Showcase, a talent show where Latino youths from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania compete for scholarships. The showcase is aired on the network.



On May 26, 2011 the showcase was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's (NJPAC), Victoria Theatre. The performances were in categories such as dance (solo, duo and groups), instrumental music, and vocal performances. Those that write and perform published songs, instrumental music, choreograph and/or perform dances, are artistically translating tangible and intangible works of art of the "original" content creators. That evening, there was a mix of original and previously published pieces.























My reverence and deep respect for Mr. Sanchez's thirty years of dedication to these young performers stems from my appreciation and study of the arts and sciences over the years.












Prior to being a content creator (that creates intellectual works), I was a content performer of other people's intellectual works such as:



*movement

*choreography

*sound recordings for radio, television, vinyl records and cassette tapes, compact disk, etc...


Drawing on my own studies and experiences, my goal was to capture the essence of the human body through symbolism and expressionism.

The performers were in categories from tiny tots to young adults. That night the youth displayed solid examples of the hard work and dedication that goes into developing as a performer. The dancer's body (this includes voice work to strengthen the diaphragm learned in ethnic dance, and vocal training) needs strength and flexibility exercises to prevent injuries and to develop technique: Kinesiology


Dance is very much about human anatomy including the intense strengthening of the skeletal and muscular systems. A dancer's first experiences and introductions to the form includes geometrical concepts such as symmetry, physical properties such as motion, and other scientific concepts such as space, time, matter, and harmonics.




Because it is a rare phenomenon, to find this many talented, kids and consistent, dedicated, self-less parents all encompassed under one roof I was determined to, even with the lighting restrictions, to get good content.


The dancer's in this showcase were truly amazing. I was extremely impressed by the contestants, especially, the tots who had technique, placement, alignment, etc....Awesome!!!

Check out the form:




Past Contestants


Many of the professionals that have received exposure from the showcase, who have gone on to flourish in their own careers, include Caitlin Sanchez The Voice of "Dora the Explorer".




Caitlin got her start with the showcase several years ago.