THE VIRTUE PROJECT - IT TAKES A VILLAGE

I’d love to introduce you to a friend of mine, Shannon de Laat. We met about two years ago and I’ve had the pleasure of watching her create a community that I personally am so proud to be a part of through the PR Net. Throughout her career there has been an underlying desire to apply her talents and expertise to impact positive change, and it is with this spirit that Shannon moves to realize a venture that brings together her skills to change the world and help others do the same.

Shannon is the founder of The Virtue Project - building targeted strategies for organizations and cause-related brands. Read all about The Virtue Project below and I hope you can share this information with others. It really does take a village!

Tell us what The Virtue Project is / does?

After 17 years working in consumer marketing, I made the huge leap to shift my professional focus to reflect what I feel in my heart and to embody my personal values. In short, my mission with The Virtue Project is simple: to lend strategic expertise in order to help non-profits and cause-oriented brands translate their mission-driven messages into compelling stories that will inspire and engage key audiences. In today’s digitally saturated environment, it is more important than ever to create a story — the bridge between the data and people’s hearts, to inspire action and build a movement for change.

You can think of us as sort of a social good-focused version of a McKinsey Consultant. We take an overarching look at a brand or organization’s mission and develop the strategy that is best going to engage audiences with that mission, in a profound and resonant way.

This is a huge leap, indeed!
What brought you to make this decision?

For me, it is personal. I’ve had a strong sense of duty instilled in me from a very young age. Our family home was always a revolving door to hosting children from the Friends of Chernobyl charity, to the Fresh Air Fund and many more. It is in my DNA to share the responsibility, to see a need and respond. I think perhaps I was destined for this work, it just took me a little while to figure out how to bring it to life.

What would you say has been a key to the success of making this happen?

Community! As you know, having a strong tribe of empowering and highly-engaged individuals that surround you is invaluable. I’ve managed to align with some incredible experts and talented social entrepreneurs who believe in what I’m doing and embrace our efforts. I like this quote from Seth Godin: “It is so much easier to aim for the smallest possible audience, not the largest, to build long-term value amongst a trusted, delighted tribe, to create work that matters and stands the test of time.”

Here with Aaniyah - a young foster youth she mentors through the Alliance of Moms.

To learn more → thevirtueproject.co
Follow them on Instagram → @thevirtueproject

Vir~tue (noun): behavior showing high moral standards, the general quality of being morally good.

Thank you Shannon! The world is a better place thanks to humans (spiritual beings) like you. Hugo will be so proud of his mama and the change she’s created for others.

Thank you for reading!

xo,

Janet

INFLUENCER MARKETING - GROW YOUR BRAND

“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is. It’s what the consumer tells each other it is.”

Meet Susana Yee - Founder of Digital Everything Consulting.

It’s a digital world out there and personally I find it fascinating. Read how founder Susana Yee lays out this “digital roadmap” to understand and learn a new way of marketing.

The company's online course bridges the gap between brands seeking to boost their social media and digital presence, and the often-untapped marketing power of influencers with uniquely creative voices that speak directly to their built-in audiences
Digital Everything Consulting can be used in place of an agency or maybe you want to learn a new skill and become a consultant, either way this is a program that works and I experienced it while working with Susana on a campaign she hired me for, Tru Niagen . Below you can watch our full interview on EverTalk TV / Focus TV.

Susana and I met a year ago when she reached out to me for Tru Niagen. Working with brands and understanding their message and goals is #1. Yes the brand comes to you because they were a fan of your overall message but there is an overall goal and that is a successful campaign.

Susana is an expert in navigating those waters and because of her experience she was able to strengthen my relationship with Tru Niagen so the conversation continues and there is room for discovery. As an influencer when you’re passionate about a product you’d like to continue that working relationship, which tells your audience “yes I believe in and stand by this product” I like to compare it to a director and their talent, for a successful film you need solid communication and that’s exactly what Susana is so fantastic with, solid communication and execution. This program works!

Susana finds the balance for both the brand and the creative, and that’s key for the overall goal of the campaign. There’s always a way to get a brands message and an authentic voice on the same page.

If you have a brand or know someone who is looking to hire authentic voices then please pass this blog post along.

The Influencer Marketing Roadmap Digital Everything's four-module online course covers everything from digital campaign strategy design, to locating and partnering with ideal influencers, to getting the most out of every campaign every time - no more guesswork or wasted research efforts!  

Additionally, the company offers one-on-one consulting services such as social media campaign management, Facebook and Twitter paid ads management, Google AdWords management, content creation, ROI campaign analysis, affiliate marketing management, and retargeting campaigns.  Did I mention you’ll be saving thousands of dollars?

Digital Everything breaks it all down into actionable steps and empowers brands to launch efficient and successful campaigns in-house, and often at a fraction of their traditional marketing budgets. The future of marketing is digital campaigns, and Digital Everything provides brands the tools they need to shape and create their own tomorrow.

Thank you Susana! I value all you do and for the services you provide with growing successful working relationships! I look forward to future campaigns

Clients include; Guess, Tru Niagen, and O.N.E. Coconut Water along with others.

Thank you for reading,

xo Janet

BIB & SOLA - WATER AND WISDOM

“A stylish way of drinking, an elegant way of giving.”

Bib & Sola - “Drink and Comfort” is a contemporary and stylish glassware that offers a conscious alternative to plastic. “Water is precious for your body and the earth so take the time to nourish yourself and decant your water from an elegant and artistic hand blown vessel. Free the world of plastic in a cool way because your choice changes everything.” 💦

Why not drink your water in style

A few years back I took a hard look at the amount of plastic that was flowing in and out of our home. After reading article after article, I knew I needed to make a change. Sometimes we forget how every little bit counts, so when I met Kira and she shared Bib & Sola with me I was even more motivated to become part of the solution.

Meet Designer and founder, Kira Heuer; born and raised in sunny southern California where she grew up loving the ocean and thus a deep appreciation for all things water emerged. Now living between London, Los Angeles, and New York, her designs seek to create a strong voice for the relevance that beauty has the power to influence, in a sense, aesthetics for ethics. Heuer is a patron and committee member of The Contemporary Art Society, Women in the Arts UK, Studio Voltaire, and The Tate.

Kira began with the notion to dig deeper when addressing the power of influence, consumerism, fashion, art, beauty and water. Playing on all aspects, Kira has created a world of AESTHETIC ACTIVISM™ for all individuals to enjoy Bib & Sola’s distinctive design and message. The hand blown glass carafe sets are far more than simple glass; each is a “drinkable art vessel,” encouraging everyone to make a connection between the water they drink, the way they drink it, and the impact it has on their lives.

1 On Every Desk

After spending too much time in boardrooms eyeing the little plastic water bottles that create not only a grand expense on the corporation yet also feed the pollution factor, Bib & Sola decided to take some action and came up with the campaign 1 On Every Desk.

Not to mention - it would allow them to immediately eliminate the high level of plastic bottles that are wasted each year!

Kira Created Bib & Sola over 4 years ago with a need to look at consumers power to change an issue that effects us all, WATER.

When we fill our vessels from these gorgeous hand-blown vessels, we can derive a sense of comfort from giving back. Also found in Harvey Nichols, Selfridge’s, Maxfield, Bon Marche, MoMA, and The Broad Museum.

Bottoms up and thank you Kira for reminding us how easy it is to shift our thinking when it comes to drinking responsibly!

Bib & Sola endeavors to replace plastic bottled water with glass in a manner that is both chic and functional and aspires to create a global community where each and every person takes responsibility and action from an inspired position.

USE DISCOUNT CODE GRATEFUL10 AT CHECKOUT

Mother’s Day is around the corner! If you’re looking for a gift that makes a difference. These are beautiful housewarming gifts, and for all occasions. Use Discount Code GRATEFUL10 at checkout and please share Bib & Sola with your friends.

Thank you! #preciouswater

Janet