Today people are in constant contact with one another through Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, cellphones and numerous other electronic and digital devices. With so many methods of communication available to us, why do many people communicate so poorly? Is it possible that they’ve never had the opportunity to learn to communicate effectively? Good communication skills are essential to a healthy and happy life. Whether it’s on the job or with friends and family, good speaking AND listening skills are vital.

I’ve recently been elected VP/Public Relations for  the Medina Toastmasters Club 941. I am looking forward to an exciting year in which our Toastmasters International club helps it’s members build confidence and find their voices. Our members, through practice and diligence, become good communicators. Good communicators are happy employees, community leaders and successful business owners. To learn more please visit the website of Medina Toastmasters Club 941 or to find a club near you visit the website of Toastmasters International.

Day 12 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

Thank goodness I’m taking the time to sort through my creative morgue, keeping only the very best, because this direct mailer was filed so deep that I’d forgotten all about it.

This brown paper bag has a message on one side and the address label, return address and postal indicia printed and glued to the other side. It serves as a visual aid and complements a concept designed to tug at the heart strings and loosen the purse strings of it’s recipient. It’s a keeper!

Cheap marketing is what everyone is looking for today and Chippewa Lake’s Lions Club is no exception. I am holding in my hand their flyer that I found by my mailbox last week. This enterprising group has combined creativity, resourcefulness and good old American ingenuity, to create Chippewa Lake’s 1st Annual Polar Bear Run and Jump (Jan. 29, 2011). This is a fundraising event to benefit two local groups that help feed the needy in our area, and to also raise funds for the Lions Club. Go to the  Chippewa Lakes Lions Club web site, you’ll learn that they help purchase eyeglasses, too. As a nearsighted graphic designer myself, I like that — who knew?

Recently some enterprising young boys have been coming to my door and asking to shovel the snow from the driveway. This is a first in my 12 years of living here. After I paid my most recent cold, red-cheeked laborer, my husband remarked to me that the driveway really didn’t have much snow to shovel this time. My response was that I had paid him for showing drive, initiative and having an entrepreneurial spirit, not for shoveling the snow.

Don’t let the daily news fool you, we’re not a nation of spoiled whiners and blamers who sit back in a paralyzed, apathetic stupor. We’re a nation of think outside the box doers. Chippewa Lake’s Lions Club can’t spend big money on marketing but that hasn’t stopped them. A good idea and a flyer, now a mention in a blog, who knows where it could lead? That’s exciting — that’s cheap marketing!!

As a Chippewa Lake resident and advertising professional, I salute and support my communities efforts in making a difference. I’ll pledge $25 to the first jumper to ask me to sponsor them (e-mail me) and I’ll also be in the crowd cheering them on as they take the plunge. I hope to see you there, too.

You may have heard of Toastmasters International and wondered what it was. You might have read that it’s an organization that helps you become better at public speaking. Or, maybe you’re like my creative friend Daryl who writes copy for Grabowski & Co., an award-winning marketing communications firm. I can always count on his whimsical comments about burnt toast and jelly in response to my Facebook posts about Toastmasters — he cracks me up.

As a Toastmasters Club member you’ll not only learn to speak in front of a group but also about listening, motivation, planning, building confidence and leadership. I’ve been a member of Medina Toastmasters Club 941 for four years. As a new member I once watched a visitor at her first meeting, shy, fearful, and even afraid to make eye contact just walking through the door and I knew she would never be back. Imagine my surprise when she became a member and within a year blossomed into a confident, well-spoken leader. This happens countless times at Toastmasters clubs around the world.

I would like to recommend Toastmasters to everyone of course, but especially to those who have lost jobs to this economy. Losing a job can be a demoralizing, confidence shattering experience. It’s a negative, life altering event that Toastmasters can help to turn around. If you know someone who has lost their job, please encourage them to join Toastmasters. As a Toastmasters member they’ll learn to think quickly on their feet and be able to ace even the toughest of job interviews with confidence.

Christmas begins in June for one of my dear friends. That’s when she starts her holiday decorating — and boy does she decorate! She makes Macy’s pale in comparison. This past Christmas she had 11 full-sized Christmas trees, 22 small trees, and a collection of Santas — all on display in her modest Medina, Ohio home!

Trim on the one-of-a-kind trees can range from trinkets of great sentimental value from my friend’s childhood to treasures she has discovered in area thrift stores. Color schemes go from traditional red and green, to patriotic red, white and blue to art deco pink, white and silver. Trees can be found in every room of the house, including the bathroom which has a wonderful “ocean” tree complete with mermaid.

Each year she adds more to her collection. She tells me that she has been called obsessive by some, but I call her a creative artist. What do you think?

Check out more pictures at Komjati Design’s Page on Facebook.

As the cashier was ringing up the last of my groceries she informed me that she couldn’t sell me the six boxes of frozen fish sticks that were moving slowly towards us on the conveyor. In disbelief I asked her why, to which she replied that she was only allowed to use one bag.

I began to search my mind trying to remember hearing any news of a plastic bag shortage in the area, or maybe it was a “green thing” and they were cutting back on bags and no one told me… my mind continued to race as I looked to the long line of shoppers behind me for help.

The woman directly behind me tried to be helpful and suggested that the cashier ring me up twice. The cashier made some comment about loosing her job if she rang up the fish sticks. Now my confusion began to turn to embarrassment as I told the cashier the sign posted on the freezer door said $4.99 each and the only reason I was buying them was that I was saving $2.50 on each one. To which she responded, that yes, she was aware of that… Read the rest of this entry »

Remember the phone call I received telling me that I had the ghosts of two women living in my home and one was there with me at that very moment? If your memory is like mine you may need it refreshed, so quickly reread my October 2009 post “Gadzooks—it must be Halloween!”, I’ll wait here until you return…

It was mid-October when I called Wendy, assistant to Mary Ann Winkowski (consultant to the CBS hit television show “Ghost Whisperer”). Wendy, according to Mary Ann’s web site, does paranormal investigation and earthbound spirit and negative energy removal, up to a forty mile radius from Cleveland. As my good luck would have it, Wendy was scheduled to “ghostbust” a home just a few miles away from mine the following week.

When Wendy arrived at my front door she was greeted by my curious husband, Tim, our niece, Danielle, our many, many cats, our dog, and me. My first impression of Wendy was that she seemed very nice and normal, at least by my standards, so I began to worry about the impression my furry hoard was making on her. We were able to sequester our dog in another room but the cats, oh, the cats — how they  loved her and wanted to climb into her interesting satchel that contained sea salt and other paranormal type goodies. Fortunately Wendy likes cats and has a great tolerance for their curiosity.

We settled into the living room where we spent over an hour seated directly across from Wendy, hanging on to every word that she said. She told us that the ghosts of the two elderly women were there because they liked being around Tim. One lived in my upstairs office and the other in the downstairs family room where I sometimes work also. Apparently they liked to “keep an eye on me” during the day while Tim was at work. While alive, these women had spent a lot of time around the corner at the Chippewa Lake Amusement Park during its glory days and were most likely regulars at the popular Starlight Ballroom. Wendy gave us two names but they were common names and a search on the internet revealed nothing.

At one point Wendy sprinkled sea salt across each doorway into the house and also around the bed. Tim helped her tape Quince seeds above all the entrances, including the attic openings and basement doorways. While they were doing this the house became 2—3 degrees warmer and has remained that way all winter. When I remarked about feeling unusually warm, Wendy said that a house with a ghost will always be cold. As she was gathering her things, preparing to leave, she stopped suddenly, looked at us seriously and asked if we knew a man who had been killed in a hunting accident…she was picking up the tragic death of my brother, Danielle’s father, the previous year. This was very unnerving and we spent some time discussing his death. Later, when Wendy was leaving she assured us that our house was no longer haunted and that our visitors were now outside, free to move on to another house or wherever it is that ghosts go.

Some interesting things began to happen almost immediately. (1) The next morning the two cats that called my upstairs office “home” for five years decided it really was okay to come downstairs and join us in the family room, (2) during the day I felt more relaxed and at night I stopped grinding my teeth, no longer needing to wear a night guard, (3) our black and white cat, Cookie stopped walking into invisible walls and (4) the many odd, unexplainable things stopped happening, well, until just a few weeks ago…

Early one morning Tim called out to me from the family room saying that the brass ships lamp on the desk was rocking for no apparent reason. The lamp is designed to gently rock back and forth with the motion of a ship. The lamp continued to rock sporadically on it’s own for the rest of the day, as we both wondered—are they back?

Recently I gave a prepared speech on advertising to my Toastmasters group. Afterwards, long time member Chet P. approached me with the following request: “If you see that guy at Marc’s, tell him to make the type bigger because I can’t read his sale ads.” Marc’s is a NE Ohio, locally owned, deep discount store, and Chet is one of a growing number of older folks who can’t read small type. And by older I mean over 40. I told Chet that I didn’t think it would do any good to contact the store owner because it’s a common problem in the industry.

Designers have been complaining for at least 20 years that the sale ads are too crowded. In the past, we would discuss the merchandise in meetings and the merchants could be persuaded to run less items. Today, the economy and the advertising industry are both in chaos and the merchants seem to have the upper hand. I also blame those young “whipper-snapper” designers who are still able to read small print. Just because 6 point type is available doesn’t mean you have to use it. As a matter of fact, advertising disclaimers must be at least 8 point type to meet the retail advertising regulations of some states.

Did you happen to see the “FREE Gift with $20 Purchase” offer that another Ohio-based chain store advertised over the Christmas season? The “free gift” was just an empty box—a plain, white gift box that stores like Macy’s routinely give away. The store’s Facebook fans discussed it at length and called it “CHEAP.” To quote Charlotte Beers (Advertising Hall of Fame 2009 inductee) “It’s not what you say [FREE] but what they hear [CHEAP].”

DOWNLOADS

Spring really is just around the corner, at least as far as the fashion industry is concerned. If you haven’t downloaded your “TOP 10 Colors for Spring 2010” bookmark, CLICK HERE to get yours now. Use it as a bookmark or take it along as a color guide when shopping. Graphic designers will find the CMYK values given for each color handy, too.

Looking for unique events to celebrate? CLICK HERE to download your very own “2010 Retail Promotional Calendar.” Never miss National Karaoke Week or National Bathroom Reading Month again.

LOOK OUT—the New Year is bearing down on us like a freight train—to borrow one of my husband’s wonderful colloquial expressions. Time to start making New Year’s resolutions. Number one on my list this year is to post to my blog once a week. What’s yours? I’ve asked many people this question recently and most say that they are setting goals of blogging more or getting more involved in social networking.

I’ve met lots of great folks through social networks, people like Michael Albany, of Aston, Pennsylvania for example. He is a photographer and the owner of Michael Albany Photography. We didn’t actually met, we connected via LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking site. I was impressed by not only his corporate photography but something special that Michael does. He takes photos for the unemployed, those who need a professional photo for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or other social media profiles and he does it for FREE! He says it’s just his way of giving back to the community. Learn more at www.michaelalbany.com/blog.

Another very talented individual, also on LinkedIn, told me that he had tried social networking and not seen any results. He said that he has an incredible portfolio, amazing website (take my word for it he REALLY does) and he is on Twitter. I have heard this complaint before and have even said it myself. What I know is that social networking isn’t something that happens overnight and that it is a process that involves a lot of time and dedication. I started my blog in March 2009 and since then have gotten on Twitter, created a Facebook fan page, held a contest and really, really worked on my LinkedIn profile. All this while continuing to work and care for my family. I have begun seeing results this month, results that I hope will continue to snowball throughout 2010. Wish me luck!

My New Year’s wish for YOU is that you take time to celebrate each and every day of 2010 —  CLICK HERE to download your 2010 Retail Promotional Calendar. Now you can celebrate National Karaoke Week, National Bathroom Reading Month and many more unique events.

Have a blessed New Year.