As an Artist You Already Work for Yourself so Could a Business be Next?
We have been working for quite a while to come up with a written prototype of our educational strategies. Many, many tests have been done regarding the writing process and nothing seemed to be working. But that might change soon. A draft of a ten step strategy has been created and if it makes it through all the phases, it might become available at no cost.
Below are some of the kinds of areas that the strategies will cover…
METHOD HOW to Start a Business
The first step is to identify who your target market is. You need to do research on the needs and wants of the people you want to reach out to, so that you can tailor your messaging and marketing to them.
The second step is to create your messaging and marketing plan. This should include things like deciding on the tone and style of your messaging as well as what channels and platforms you will use to reach your target market.
The third and final step is to execute your plan. This includes things like creating content, running campaigns, and tracking the results of your efforts. It is important to measure the success of your marketing strategy and adjust it as necessary.
As easy as 1, 2, 3!
P.S. You are not alone because when you need you just might discover help is given.
P.P.S. If you are here in Manhattan, have you considered getting help from the NYC Housing Lottery?
P.P.P.S. Do you see yourself as a person in need? There is help for that too.
To Get the Media Interested You Need to have a Good Story
You Have the Right to a Healthy and Clean Entrance to Your Apartment Building, in area that is City Owned
It was only a week ago that Yianni Stamas, on this site, told a really life story of how he finally got the city to fix a drain that was causing polluted water to fill the entrance of an apartment building. Tenants had to literally step in the filthy water to get to their homes.
We Pay Taxes Too
And even though all the conventional means were tried, no help was ever given to the people, and hence the problem persisted. The unhealthy entrance to an apartment building that they faced each and every day, was an issue that had been going on for years! You have a right to your health in public places! Especially when it is connected to the city or government in some way such as the NYC Housing Lottery and therefore their responsibility!
What Does this Apartment Entrance Situation have Anything to do with Today’s Topic?
The reason we mention this tale about the difficulty sometimes of getting public servants, who we pay the salary, to actually do what they are receiving income to do. Why story? Because it is a window into the reality of being an American and living in the city in one of the less liked areas of Manhattan. The point is you have to think outside of the box. The goal is to figure out the shortest and most non stressing, route to solve the problem.
What is the METHOD HOW to Get What You Want, Need and Desire?
How do you know if your METHOD HOW to get what you want will actually work? The answer to this has to do with you and your ability to look at the situation and come up with a strategy. Luck is a part of the process also, but if you get lucky, don’t city on your laurels but instead get right to it. Time is of the essence.
Danger in Motion
The building puddle of water we have been talking about was also done in conjunction with fire hydrants being illegally opened and then used to spray into the already existing puddle. Also, it is a tradition every summer to get hydrants to spray into the windshields of cars. And when a driver who cannot see through the windshield (due to having large amounts of water sprayed on it) could potentially hit someone.
Whether You are Promoting Yourself or Your Company or Social Justice, Makes No Difference if You are Seeking Publicity
The water topics of a large puddle as well as hydrants spurting, caused a lot of anxiety and the city was doing nothing. So, out of concern for public safety, a call was made to New York 1 which is an NYC channel that is focused on Manhattan and the other boroughs. NY1 showed up with their camera and reporter and covered the story.
Problems and Solutions
If a problem is painful and impacting the lives of lots of people, the press or media is sometimes interested in covering it. They like stories with an aspect of lack of safety and injustices. Hence, if you have a good story, they will come. But if you have nothing to offer that will solve their problem of finding and filming coverage of tales, you will not get a result.
Will they Be Interested?
Remember, even if you have a good angle, you still might not be able to get their interest. It all depends on how timely and newsworthy your story is to them, and they make choices based their question which is if this is a good topic that will generate interest for viewers and sponsors. Will they be interested in the problem and solution?
Online Newsletters
Online and email Newsletters can be very helpful getting the word out regarding problems and solutions. An example is the Method How Report formerly known as USA Make a Difference Newsletter. This report has fresh ideas at least once a week, complete with coming strategies in the form of weekly Company Campaigns to help your company flourish.
Please Note
Although all who are interested can subscribe to the report, at the present time at this very early stage in development, METHOD HOW is focusing on helping those who are a Person in Need, or owner of a Company in Need, or both. For a limited time they will have access for free to strategies that are DIY (Do it Yourself) so it does not matter where in the United States you are located.
Not a Picture of the Actual Puddle but Imagine Something Like this Leading to Knee Deep Water at the Entrance of the NYC Apartment Building Where You Live
Secret Techniques To Improve Communication (or at Least Stuff that has worked)
Yianni Stamas during the ten years of producing the Platinum PIAs, always did his best to try to zero in not only those problems in Inwood Manhattan or Washington Heights, but also topics that needed to be brought up to build awareness. And some problems might benefit from intersecting with each other more than the currently do.
Bureaucracy is not the fault of Bureaucracy but Rather of Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy has a way of making it difficult to do much of anything. Through, this is often not their fault directly because when many administrators themselves try to make a difference and reach out to relevant other city agencies. But as Yianni Stamas has pointed out, one city agency with a purpose that contacts another, can sometime get the run around.
How to Improve Communication?
Or it can be the “Slow No” in which the agency that help is sought from, might talk about how they have walls too they cannot jump over. So what is the “secret” that can be used to improve communication?
Simplicity
The fastest way to get a positive result when it comes to one person to another, is that they are on the same page with same values to start out with! Not really a secret, but is something to think about so you do not get caught up in trying to make someone change what they believe in. We know that Yianni Stamas is on board for simplicity.
Is there a METHOD HOW to Open Doors Easily or Must One Resort to the Age Old Adage “Try, try, again?”
Back to the city agency trying to communicate with another city agency, as an example could be that of the search for a door to enter the NYC Housing Lottery. Now please understand we are in no way knocking the NYC Housing Lottery, merely voicing the importance of being your own advocate in life and that of family, friends and coworkers. And the only way that this seems to work is if you persevere.
New Yorkers Once in a While are Able to Get the City to Help with Community Issue but Sometimes it Takes Thinking Out of the Box
In Inwood Manhattan there was an apartment building on the east side of Broadway that had a major problem with water and knee-deep puddles that formed right at the entrance making it extremely difficult to enter the building. And people, trying to get into their apartment homes would get wet in water that was stagnate harboring possible elements that could make a person ill.
Drain the Large Puddle?
Now Yianni Stamas, who wanted the city come to drain the enormous puddle that existed year after year , did what New Yorkers are told to do: Call 311. The idea is that you call them and they connect you to government agencies that can help you.
A Long Story Kept Short
After attempting many times of using 311 to try to take this big puddle away, he got no results. One day, as luck would have it, he was exiting the building trying not to get wet from all the water at the entrance, when he saw something amazing: a city truck with the tools to drain the veritable pond.
Opportunity?
But this truck had not come to the neighborhood to drain the giant puddle and kept driving past the building. With water dripping from his clothes, Yianni ran after the truck. Fortunately the truck stopped at an intersection, and Yianni got the two men within to roll down their window. Yianni pleaded with them to fix the water problem. And in less than twenty minutes they fixed the issue. The point to be made here is that tenacity can sometimes save the day!
New Projects are in the Works and Include from the Blog Coalition, New Websites and Ideas
Undertakings Coming
We have a couple of things cooking. Too early thought to talk about them. Soon we shall be able to. Or so we hope. They are all going to be a part of the Blog Coalition.
We are All Human
We like to think that one of the primary reasons that the PIAs had ten successful awards ceremonies over the course of a decade, was because the awards given to members of the community resonated with others. Meaning, the categories of recognition evolved over time . And the amazing thing is that the process seemed to attract both older and younger people. In the end we are all human!
Can a USA Divided Become a USA Unified?
Although the Platinum PIAs had an emphasis on the arts, it also focused on small businesses in the community or anyone who was making a difference in some way. It is vital that we as a country, especially now, be looking toward a “USA Unified” rather than being a “USA Divided.” The word “unified” rather than being “united” is that it is tough to see this country quickly becoming that. Striving to be unified is more possible.
Sometimes Those in Pain Want Others to Be in Pains
The PIAs always stood for positivity over negativity. Because being a person with an upbeat outlook is spreading the warmth. But an angry and dissatisfied person often find their “joy” through hurting others emotionally. Individuals who do this tend to be in a lot of pain themselves.
The Good Side of Human Behavior
Everyone needs recognition of some kind. When noticing and emphasizing the “good” that someone is doing has a positive impact in many ways. First, the person being awarded becomes happy as a result and will share their award the others. And those seeing their friend or colleague has achieved this, can sometimes motivate them to do good too. And in the big picture it is nice to know that there are others who value the good side of human behavior.
The Convenience of Online for Shoppers
Although most of the Platinum PIAs events were done in-person, some were done online. And post Pandemic even more so people are seeing the value of things being done on the web. This includes buying from businesses online. These days, if a business is not harnessing the internet in some way, are long-term going to have a difficulty keeping their business afloat. Consumers enjoy making purchases online because it is convenient.
Emotional Health
Nurturing the spirit of community is vital to the survival of humans in a positive way. Anger often comes to the surface more quickly than kindness and can have a negative impact. Feelings that lean toward happiness are a different kind of “fuel” than its flipside which is to not care about the good emotional health of others.
Sharing on the Web
The responsibility of pursuing and developing community falls upon all of us. Even those who are introverted need community. Introverts can often be very emotional people and when they have good feelings overwhelming the bad, a person who tends to move toward solitude gets a boost from the happiness of others. It is extremely easy to fall into darkness. Having a happy and healthy society is more difficult. Pain and avoiding it is known to sell better for businesses than a purely positive viewpoint. So sometimes showing both and how they impact each other is the best plan when it comes to sharing online.
Professor Dreamer Meets Professor Realist?
“Hope” is a cornerstone of having a happier way of seeing the world. Often it is thought that dreamers dream of hope, but it is not sustainable. Whereas realists at least have the capacity through their clarity and focus, to have a result. It is really a mix of dreaming and being “realistic” that best serves hope. The dreamer bringing to the table the positive vision of the world, while the realist makes it possible to get that point of view seen by others.
Balance?
To keep on smiling despite the darkness one can feel, is important. But this is different than pushing a smile. One can be preoccupied by the negative and when that person grins it does not have the same impact as a smile from a person who truly has a zest for life. Of course, many people, especially those in vocations that require networking, can seem false. It is as though they feign being happy to make the sale. Balance, as in many things, is the initial approach.
Mental Health
Mental health thankfully is becoming easier to talk about. Not so long ago it was a taboo. People were ashamed to admit they suffered from things like depression and anxiety. As acceptance grows so do the opportunities for a solution. This includes those in the mental health industries such as psychology and psychiatry. Although things are warming up in an effective manner regarding mental health, it still has a long way to go. But together we can spread the word!
The decade long run of the Platinum PIAs is over, but this does not mean we cannot open dialogues about important. One that comes to mind is technology versus safety. But first, we feel it is important to start by mentioning that in the decade long run of the PIAs.
For the 10 years and each years’ ceremony, we were always easily able to find small businesses that are making a positive differences in their communities. In other words all is not lost, there are a lot of good people out there.
That said, there are also many wrongs that are happening on planet Earth today, including within out own country. This can sometimes make one a bit jaded, therefore questioning that there exists today authentic caring about others.
Another problem and question that comes up is technology and whether or not it is helping or hurting our ability to be true human being? Or to put it another way, were the lives of people in the 1800’s more grounded then we are today? Were there more people then who wanted to do good?
Has technology today magnified hate to such a degree that it has a negative on human beings world wide? Also, it should be noted that there were a lot of things very wrong in our country for decades, and many of these problems still exist.
Not everyone, especially in the past, did not have the freedom that others did. And still, not all people are treated equally. So with access to social media platforms and search engines are we being responsible with its power to get out opinions?
Looking at how we live today with access to technology, there a lot of folks out there who rant and say horrible things about people. And with technology everything becomes magnified, both the good and the bad. Big corporations in the search and social domains, actually flourish with negative comments of person versus person.
Why? They sell more ads. It is a well known reality that bad news gets much more interest than good news does. And thus with the interest intact, the bullies reign. And the sad part of technology giving a voice to negativity is that the attacker is often as much in pain as the person being attacked.
What can we do about this if anything? There are a lot of not-for-profit organizations out there that are collecting donations for the purpose of helping to curb those out of control who see the web as a way to generate pain upon others.
And much of this desire by some to hurt others, comes of course from their own pain, a truth which they could very well could be in denial of. Some victims grow up to be bullies who feel they have a right to having access to the means of bashing other human beings who deserve better.
Do the search engines and social media platforms, really care about what their mediums are facilitating in the lives of everyday people? It seems that the only time big companies that facilitate the spread of victimizing and negativity, do anything to deal with this, is when they fear the possibility of losing ad sales.
If you have been around for a while on this planet, our question to you is that does having access to placement in both search and social make you feel any safer today than you did pre internet?
Do we all need applause? Do we all need an audience? Do we all need fans? Most psychologists would say “yes.” Why is this? It is because most disorders, other than chemical ones, tend to relate to a single thing.
This thing is often related to an individual not having received recognition of some kind early in their life. This is part of the reason that for ten years we implemented the Platinum PIAs Awards.
We believed that those who are doing good for the community, deserve to have recognition for that. So, each year we would bring together community members as an audience for just that purpose.
We would recognize both online and offline creators and entrepreneurs. We felt then, and still do so today, that we all need some form of an audience, fans or love to maintain happiness.
Of course, in addition to the psychological mechanisms there are chemical ones as well. The mind is mysterious indeed, but one thing for certain, even introverts need relationships.
Relationships can include friendships, romantic partners, coworkers, and more involving emotional support. This can be very helpful in this thing called life.
So even though we are not currently producing the annual Platinum PIAs any longer, we still have adhered to our mission to recognize business owners and creatives who are making a difference both in their in-person and online communities.
We do this this recognition process in various ways, including positive posts like this one, that also includes the current 57 websites that are a part of the Blog Coalition. Additionally, do our best to give recognition on a continual basis.
Giving recognition can include letting friends, family and coworkers know that they are good people and making a difference in the lives of others. In short, we believe that we all need applause.
The tradition of annual Platinum PIA Celebrations ended around two years ago, but much has happened over the last couple of years. The quest to make a difference by finding those who themselves make a difference, has not stopped.
Obstacles
The world we live in now with COVID, inflation and here in New York City, violence, has tested all of us in one way or another. A new mayor in office came as a beacon of hope for many.
The Hope
The reasoning was that because he had once been a police officer himself, that he brought to the table important knowledge and experience, and could stop or diminish the amount of unnecessary blood shed that occurs in our wonderful city.
A New Reality?
Although the mayor has not been in office long, some of those who voted for him are losing the faith. This is because since he took on his responsibilities, violence has actually gone up.
Thanks from All of Us
Our thanks go out to those who are actively working toward ending violence here in Manhattan and beyond. You are indeed making a difference!
A Tongue in Cheek Look at a New Way to Make a Difference: Get on the Doer Path!
The Platinum PIAs Awards Presents a Lampoon of Sorts with a New Comical Character: Dr. Doer Who Lends a Helping Hand…
Who is Dr. Doer? According to today’s edition of the “USA Make a Difference” Newsletter this fictional character is an acclaimed and esteemed expert of the Doer Sciences with a B.A., M.A. and N.M.I.H (No Med is He).
Simply put, as Dr. Doer explains in his tele-lectures:
“As a a man of the study of ScienceOmaticDoerIsm I recently had a grant to figure out what the two types of meaning searchers were. And after several months of lab analysis, I came up with the hypothesis that there are Dreamers and then there are Doers. And very soon I will be wrestling with another question with another grant to look more deeply into what I call The Two Hybrids which are dreamers/doers and doers/dreamers. The many months of lab analysis and ScienceOmaticDoerIsm, is to specifically answer a question that has puzzled the puzzled. The inquiry is to find out which is better: to be a Dreamer who becomes a Doer, or a Doer who can Dream?”
We then asked Dr. Doer what his recommendation was to anyone who wants to become a Doer. His response was:
It is really quite easy. It takes just 3 steps.
1. Get on the Doer Path. 2. Pursue your Doer Goal and subgoals. 3. Enter Doertopia then repeat.
Here is a way to digitally transform your business process with tools available online that are low or no cost. Businesses like yours do not need to suffer. Solutions are available and are within arm’s length. You simply need to seek them out and be a part of the solution for your business and not the problem.
What was the Platinum PIAs Awards?
The “happening” recognized small businesses and other organizations and institutions who are making a difference both online and off.
Lessons Learned from Pre Covid-Producing of Events and Shows
The best way to “Tap into the Community” is to “Create and Organize the Community” The PIAs ended its decade long annual run just prior to the entrance of the villain of the show, the Corona Virus. But strategies similar to staging shows and events can be easily done by local and online businesses being negatively impacted by Covid and its Variants.
Discovering the Path
Information regarding what the first three steps of the journey are, could potentially become available if “insiders” decide to make digital learning products available. The decision regarding whether or not to move forward with beta testing and proof of concept, must be decided upon by tonight, Friday, at 12:00am, midnight, the start of the new year, 2022.
Every so often we run into people who somehow had been involved in the PIAs ether as a live audience member, a presenter or even online viewer. The question that we get the most is that since the PIAs website is still up, even after closing the awards show, why don’t we update the blog more? We apologize for not putting in new content on a regular basis. We are working on a great number of community projects and do updates as we can. In fact, in this update that you are reading right now, we are giving your something to read that hopefully you will find helpful. It is a preview from an educational collaboration of ours which is the writing of a nonfiction eBook about leveraging the power of niche marketing.
Important. We apologize for temporarily having to remove the 10 Free Tools and their descriptions and will be returning them soon!
