Father, We cry out against the senseless destruction of our own communities. Expose those who are destroying our communities under the guise of protesting for justice. Bless us to be unified as we stand together demanding justice for the alleged injustice that has been inflicted. Bless us to do so in such a manner that our voices will be heard far and wide demanding that actions are taken to eradicate the senseless killing of African-Americans under the deception of justice. Amen. #showersblessing #prayerforsuccess
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Sweet Revenge: Life’s Defining Moments | Showers’ Blessing Inspires | Jacqui Showers
Graduation is a time of transitioning from one season of life to another. All the excitement surrounding graduation includes senior activities culminating with the prom and graduation. The year my niece graduated I was so excited because she was more like the daughter I never had. After her mother passed, I moved in with her and her father to help get her through those difficult adolescent years.
One of her finest moments during her graduation season happened at her senior photo shoot. As I stood there watching her she looked beautiful. Then I noticed a young man standing next to me was as much in awe of my niece as I was. He was looking at her so intently that I thought to myself, well he must really think she’s pretty.
Once we were back in the dressing room my niece asked me did I see that boy out there. I said, “Yes, I couldn’t help but see him because he was staring so hard at you.” She went on to remind me about when she was in middle school and would come home almost every day upset, telling me about a boy who told her she was so ugly no would ever want to date her and she definitely would never get married. During that time, I would reassure her that he was wrong and not to believe him. Needless to say, when you are in middle school your peers’ opinions rank far above any adult’s.
My niece proceeded to say how he did not remember her until she reminded him of the mean things he had said to her. He immediately started back peddling and exclaiming how sorry and wrong he was and kept repeating over and over how pretty she looked. As I listened to my niece tell this story and saw the huge grin of victory on her face, I knew that this was one of her finest moments. It was in that instance that she moved from living in the realm of what others say about her to believing all God had created her to be.
Unfortunately, many of us never get to encounter those people who spoke venom about us and in many instances caused us to spiral downward. Unlike my niece, many of us may never have that defining moment of sweet revenge when you come face-to-face with your accuser and you look absolutely stunning. However, your defining moment comes when you relinquish all the venom spoken about you and embrace only what God says.
You see, nobody knows you any better than Him. Nobody knows the greatness in you. He created you. He placed all the great things inside of you. He alone defines who you are. In the instance you embrace who God created you to be is when you begin to fulfill all your desires, your dreams and walk in your destiny on the path to fulfilling your purpose.
Question: What is your defining moment? How did it effect you? Share your comments with us.
7 Branding and Marketing Tips I Learned from the Dog Next Door
Everyone knows the little dog next door—JR, a little Jack Russell who thinks he owns the world or at least our little corner of it. He is always yapping and barking. It doesn’t matter the size of any dog or human, this little fearless creature goes after them. Everyone knows JR because he makes the most noise. He is not bigger, but he demands to be noticed.
You have to approach your brand the same way as this little pint-sized dog. You have to demand to be seen and heard. You can’t let being an emerging or small business, non-profit or faith-based organization stop you. It all begins with branding and drawing attention to your brand.
These are some lessons I’ve learned about branding and marketing on less than shoestring budget from JR—the little dog next door.
You have to be fearless. You cannot drawback from doing what you need to do to get your brand out there. You have to do whatever it takes. One of the biggest obstacles is you. Get yourself and the fear out of the way and just do it.
Make some noise! Make a noise loud enough to be heard and seen. Every day you have to do something. You can’t do something one day and nothing the next. Devise a plan of action and stick to it. You can have the best product or service, but if no one knows it is like not having anything at all.
Look at me! Demand to be seen and heard. Networking is key. You have to network both in-person and online. You can’t just assume people are going to come. You have to make them come by making your presence known. When you go to an event, introduce yourself. Don’t just hang out with the person you came with or cozy up to people you already know. Be bold and daring. Determine that you are going to meet at least three new people at every event. Follow up with them. It’s no difference online. Get to know people. Introduce yourself, begin a conversation and continue to nurture those alliances. Regurgitate others content, if it is nothing but to like, share and make comments. Your goal is to make sure people notice your brand. What better way than to help them promote theirs.
That ain’t nothing! You have to be fearless in tackling the big things. Your confidence increases by doing what you need to do every day. Even if you lack confidence in yourself, have confidence in your brand. If you don’t, you will never get noticed. Don’t be afraid to approach people and companies that can help you with your brand, regardless of their size.
Scout out the competition. Scout out your competition, size them up and plan accordingly. Don’t become so consumed with what others are doing that it causes you to do nothing. You want to know what your competitors are doing to know how you want to position your brand. Your goal is to make sure even your competitors notices you, and even more they respect you.
Be relentless! Don’t allow anything to prevent you from doing what is necessary. If you are not relentless in doing what you need to do, you will fade into the background. That is never your goal. Yes, it does take a lot of work. Is it worth it? You bet! Regardless of where you are and what platform you are using, you are always promoting your brand. You are your brand’s number one promoter and motivator.
So what if you’re small! Size has nothing to do with it. It doesn’t take a lot of money, just ingenuity. There are lots of low-cost to no cost services and products. I’ve uncovered myriad ways for your brand to look professional and polished; not to mention all of the ways to get noticed without spending one penny.
I know if JR the little dog next door can make his presence known, you can too. All it takes is some time, effort, confidence and ingenuity. Before you know it you will be branding and marketing like a pro. Yes, on less than a shoestring budget.